After Friday the 13th’s Crystal Lake TV Show, I Need Another Horror Franchise to Change Formats

Thanks to films like Obsession and Weapons, a whole new class of horror movie icons are emerging. But for fans of the old-school franchises, the big screen has seemed a little dimmer lately. Some horror icons, like Ghostface and Michael Myers have returned to theaters in recent years after a long wait. Meanwhile, others like Evil Dead’s Ash Williams and Chucky instead wound up with TV series that continued their cinematic adventures. But perhaps the biggest absentee horror franchises feature two of the most beloved slashers in horror history. Now fans of the Friday the 13th series can dive back into Jason Voorhees’ lore with the aptly titled Crystal Lake.

Rather than putting Jason and his iconic hockey mask back into action, the upcoming Peacock series features Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother, and follows the immediate aftermath of her son’s apparent drowning at Camp Crystal Lake. Longtime fans know this as the inciting incident that kicked off every other story in the franchise, which later sees an adult Jason seeking revenge for his mother’s death. But what is fascinating about Crystal Lake isn’t just how it is taking the same approach that worked for Bates Motel and applying it to Friday the 13th, but how well this same storytelling conceit could work for another long-awaited horror return.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Could Finally Expand on Freddy Krueger’s Origin

Just like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger — famously played to perfection by Robert Englund in Wes Craven’s 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street— saw his long-running film franchise come to a close with 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason. Just like Jason, Freddy was the subject of a reboot less than a decade later. But while 2009’s Friday the 13th has its fans, most horror aficionados have no love for the 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot. Add to that sour taste the fact that the franchise rights have been tied up for years, and it’s easy to see why the Springwood Slasher hasn’t mounted a big-screen revival for more than 15 years. Of course, that seems like it will change sooner rather than later, with recent updates about another reboot.

However, Crystal Lake makes the case for a different approach to Freddy Krueger’s long-awaited return. If the intention is to reintroduce the character to new fans, why not start his story at the beginning? Famously, Freddy went on a killing spree in Springwood, Ohio, before finally getting caught and evading punishment due to a legal technicality. Later, the parents of his victims trapped him and set the place ablaze, burning Freddy alive and putting him on the path to becoming the dream demon who targets local teens while they are sleeping. Although a film could breeze past this origin, it’s never been fully explored, aside from a single episode of the 1988 anthology TV series Freddy’s Nightmares.

For years, rumors spred regarding a prequel film exploring Freddy’s crimes before his apparent death. John Saxon, another star of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, had even written a treatment for such a story. And for a long time, Englund expressed interest in signing on for a prequel film that delved into Freddy’s time as a serial killer prior to his supernatural glow-up. While the actor seems less enthusiastic about reprising the role now, such a fresh start would give the creative team — and a new actor as Freddy — the freedom to make it their own.

What We Know About the A Nightmare on Elm Street Reboot So Far

A big part of what fans bristled at in the 2010 remake was how it blatantly recreated iconic moments from Craven’s original film. While Jackie Earle Haley is a fine actor, he doesn’t have the history with the role that Englund does, setting him up for failure before the opening credits even rolled on his version. So any new Elm Street project needs to avoid the missteps of its predecessor. Unfortunately, there isn’t a ton of information on what is currently in the works, though it appears that both Paramount and Warner Bros. are developing their own takes on Freddy Krueger.

In July 2026, fans learned that Paramount had acquired the rights to Craven’s original screenplay and was developing a remake under its Paramount Primal label. No story details have been revealed, though it’s unlikely that Englund will return at this point. The Warner Bros. film is even more mysterious, and if its merger with Paramount is finalized, whichever project is further along will reportedly be the one to move forward. Perhaps, if Crystal Lake is successful, the powers that be can pivot to a Freddy Krueger prequel series instead. With the previous failed reboot, A Nightmare on Elm Street needs a drastic change to avoid repeating past mistakes. After all, fans have long dreamed of having Freddy back.

Crystal Lake premieres on Peacock on October 15, 2026.

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