It’s Halloween, and there is some exciting news on the horror front as Bryan Fuller (“Hannibal”) and A24 have announced they are teaming up for “Crystal Lake,” a prequel series that takes place in the world of “Friday The 13th” for Peacock’s streaming service. The beloved slasher film series would eventually see Jason Voorhees as the main threat against anyone with a pulse, as the zombified killing machine stalked the rural area where he died until he eventually explored Manhattan and space in subsequent sequels.
Of course, Crystal Lake refers to the location of Camp Crystal Lake, where Jason Voorhees drowned as a kid after camp counselors neglected their supervision duties and, in the 1980 film, led his mother, Pamela Voorhees, to go around killing staff members who were looking to reopen the camp in the original movie that starred a young Kevin Bacon and featured gory but inventive kills that the slasher franchise became known for thanks to effects guru Tom Savini. It wasn’t until the third film that a grown Jason would wear his iconic hockey mask.
“I discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was ten years old, and I have been thinking about this story ever since. When it comes to horror, A24 raises the bar and pushes the envelope, and I’m thrilled to be exploring the campgrounds of Crystal Lake under their banner. And Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be working with her again,” Fuller said in an official statement hinting to Jason’s mother Palema making a triumphant return.
Fuller is no stranger to dabbling in prequels as his series “Hannibal,” starring Mads Mikkelsen, took place before the events of the novel “Red Dragon,” which was adapted for Michael Mann’s “Manhunter.”
The producing team consists of A24, Fuller, Marc Toberoff, Victor Miller, and Rob Barsamian. Miller was the original film’s screenwriter and recently won a rights lawsuit against Sean Cunningham/Horror Inc., which likely means films could move forward as well.