One Of The Biggest Slasher Franchises Ever Sets Return For The First Time In 17 Years
by Ryan Scott · /FilmJason Voorhees is a slasher icon, but he's been notably absent for the better part of 20 years. The last time we saw him was when the "Friday the 13th" remake conquered the box office in 2009 — and then he disappeared. Now, though, the beloved horror franchise is making a comeback as Peacock has announced the release date for "Crystal Lake," a prequel streaming series that will be the first meaningful entry in the franchise to come our way in more than 17 years.
According to Variety, "Crystal Lake" will premiere on the Peacock streaming service on Thursday, October 15, just in time for Halloween. The "Friday the 13th" prequel series is headed up by showrunner Brad Caleb Kane, who is coming off "It: Welcome to Derry" and, not for nothing, provided the singing voice of Aladdin for Disney. The new show will star Linda Cardellini ("Dead to Me," "Scooby-Doo") as Pamela Voorhees, Jason's mom, who was the killer in the original 1980 slasher classic before Jason took over killing duties in the sequels.
This is a big deal for longtime fans, as it represents the first meaningful project in the franchise since the '09 movie. Last year saw the release of a short film entitled "Sweet Revenge," which starred actor Schuyler White as Jason Voorhees. But that was just a short, and had a hard time living up to years' worth of pent-up demand from horror hounds.
This TV show will undoubtedly have more meat on its bones, but it also still has to shoulder a lot of responsibility. Living up to those lofty expectations is undoubtedly going to be a tall order.
Crystal Lake might have a tough time pleasing Friday the 13th fans
According to Variety, the A24-produced "Crystal Lake" TV show "follows Voorhees' life prior to the events of the first 'Friday the 13th' film." There's a lot to unpack there. A lengthy, ugly "Friday the 13th" legal case was finally settled in 2023, after original director Sean S. Cunningham and screenwriter Victor Miller were at odds for years over the rights. Without getting into the weeds too much, essentially, the rights were split up. Miller won the rights to his original screenplay, but that script doesn't feature an adult Jason Voorhees, who became the centerpiece of the franchise in the sequels. (He didn't even get his classic hockey mask until "Friday the 13th Part III" in 1982.) Meanwhile, Cunningham and Horror Inc. control other rights within the franchise, including the adult Jason, but can't use anything Miller got in the divorce.
That has complicated matters. Seemingly, "Crystal Lake" can't use the "Friday the 13th" name and branding, nor will it focus on the adult Jason that most fans associate with the franchise. Instead, Callum Vinson will play a younger Jason who eventually drowns in Crystal Lake, leading Pamela on her path of deadly revenge.
Whether or not such a prequel can truly satisfy the expectations "Friday the 13th" fans have remains to be seen. At the same time, "Sweet Revenge" director Mike P. Nelson has confirmed that a new "Friday the 13th" movie is happening, though it's also unclear how that's going to work amidst the ongoing rights complications.
"Crystal Lake" Season 1 premieres on Peacock on October 15, 2026.