The original killer from the Friday the 13th franchise has a brand new face as they make their way to television. A24 and Peacock have been developing Crystal Lake, a prequel series to Friday the 13th, for a couple of years now. The show is already on its second showrunner, following the departure of Bryan Fuller, but a new casting announcement seems to have things on the right track.
Videos by ComicBook.com
On Monday, A24 and Peacock announced that Linda Cardellini had landed the role of Mrs. Pamela Vorhees (Jason’s mother) in Crystal Lake. Cardellini is known to many fans for playing Velma in the live-action Scooby-Doo films, as well as her Emmy-nominated turns in Dead to Me and Mad Men.
Crystal Lake is going to be a story all about Mrs. Vorhees, who fans remember as woman who was revealed to be the killer in the 1980 Friday the 13th. In that film, the character was played by Betsy Miller, in a performance that many consider one of the best supporting turns in slasher history.
Little is known about the plot of Crystal Lake, outside of the fact that it will tell a story that predates the events of the first Friday the 13th. The films and the character of Jason Vorhees have been locked up in a legal battle for years now, which is why there hasn’t been a reboot of the actual slasher series — and why you can no longer play the Friday the 13th video game. Crystal Lake, however, appears to be something of a gray area, able to get around the legal issues by not including the hockey mask-donning killer that has become a horror icon over the years.
[RELATED: Friday the 13th Director Predicts Crystal Lake Release Date]
Bryan Fuller was originally attached to Crystal Lake but left the project over “creative differences” with A24. Brad Caleb Kane, who is overseeing the IT prequel Welcome to Derry, was brought in to replace Fuller as creator and showrunner.
“From the moment I watched Jason Voorhees squeeze a guy’s eyeball out of its socket (in glorious 3D!) at the tender age of 8 years old, I knew my creative path was someday destined to converge with The Man Behind The Mask,” said in a statement. “Nothing defined my childhood more than growing up in the golden age of the slasher flick, and nothing’s defined the genre more than Friday The 13th. I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to contribute a chapter to this iconic franchise, particularly with such fearless partners as Peacock and A24.”
Are you looking forward to seeing Peacock’s Friday the 13th prequel series? Let us know in the comments!
