Friday the 13th fans have some fantastic news to celebrate for this year’s Halloween. On the spooky holiday, it was announced that an all-new series based on the popular horror franchise is in development at NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock. The show has been titled Crystal Lake, referring to the body of water where Jason Voorhees typically spends his time in between killing sprees.
Per Variety, Crystal Lake has already been given a straight-to-series order. The series has been described as an “expanded prequel” written by Bryan Fuller (Hannibal), who will also serve as showrunner and executive produce with original Friday the 13th screenwriter Victor Miller. A24 is the studio behind the project and is also executing producing with Marc Toberoff and Rob Barsamian.
“I discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was 10 years old and I have been thinking about this story ever since,” Fuller said in a statement addressing the news. “When it comes to horror, A24 raises the bar and pushes the envelope and I’m thrilled to be exploring the camp grounds 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.”
Rovner, the chairman of entertainment content for NBCUniversal TV and Streaming, added: “Friday the 13th is one of the most iconic horror franchises in movie history and we were dying to revisit this story with our upcoming drama series Crystal Lake. We can’t wait to get to work with Bryan Fuller, a gifted, visionary creator who I’ve had the pleasure of being a longtime friend and collaborator, along with our incredible partners at A24, in this updated version for Peacock that will thrill long-standing fans of the franchise.”
Because of the legal battle between Miller and original director Sean Cunningham, Crystal Lake will only be able to adapt elements featured in the original Friday the 13th screenplay. That means that the adult Jason Voorhees with the hockey mask in most of the sequels won’t be featured. However, Jason’s backstory and childhood can be further explored, making it very likely his mother Pamela Voorhees, played by the late Betsy Palmer in the original film, will be featured.
Crystal Lake doesn’t yet have a premiere date.
