The FRIDAY THE 13TH Prequel Series CRYSTAL LAKE Moves Forward With Major Update
It’s been a long road for fans of Friday the 13th, but the long-gestating prequel series Crystal Lake is alive and kicking, and for the first time in over a decade, we’re seeing real movement on a Friday the 13th screen project.
Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane just confirmed via social media that pre-production is underway, sharing a script image labeled with his name and the A24 logo, along with the caption: “Crystal Lake Production Offices are live.”
After years of legal battles keeping Jason Voorhees in limbo, this is a big deal. It marks the franchise’s first major step forward since the 2009 reboot. And now, with A24 and Peacock backing it, Crystal Lake looks ready to start carving out a new slice of Voorhees lore. This time, focusing on what came before the hockey mask.
Kane, who’s coming off Tokyo Vice and the upcoming It: Welcome to Derry, took over as showrunner after Bryan Fuller exited the project. Fuller, originally set to helm the series, reportedly stepped away due to creative differences over tone, something original Friday the 13th director Sean S. Cunningham alluded to publicly.
Kane previously talked about the project, saying: “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.
“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.”
The show has also locked in a major casting with Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me, No Good Deed) set to star as a young Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother, and the original killer that started it all.
Described as a woman who gave up a singing career to care for her special-needs son, Pamela’s descent into darkness begins when Jason tragically dies.
Originally ordered straight-to-series back in 2022, Crystal Lake is being described as an “expanded prequel,” aiming to dig into the twisted roots of the Voorhees family and the legacy of death that hangs over Camp Crystal Lake.
With production offices now live and the creative team locked in this series can actually move forward and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of it.