Upcoming Friday the 13th series Crystal Lake has evolved a lot since it was announced towards the end of 2022. While it was initially believed that the series would act as a straight prequel to the iconic horror franchise, therefore not touching on the events of Friday the 13th or including hockey mask-wearing Jason Voorhees. Now it seems that as well as the iconic killer, the series will also feature an appearance by Adrienne King, who played the original Final Girl of the 1980 movie.Yesterday saw Crystal Lake writer-producer Bryan Fuller attending a screening of Jason’s 3D outing, Friday the 13th Part 3, followed by a Q&A session that touched on the A24 and Peacock Crystal Lake series. Fandom’s Eric Goldman was on hand to share some of the new details revealed by Fuller about the show, which included the reveal that King will be part of the production in a recurring role. While many believe that King will not be reprising her role as Alice, it is worth remembering that the actress reprised her Friday the 13th role in 2021 in the fan film Jason Rising, which could mean she will indeed be returning to the role.
There is a long way to go before Crystal Lake arrives on Peacock, as the script is still to be written. However, in another piece of information gleaned from the session, it was revealed that Scream writer Kevin Williamson would provide the script for one episode of the show.
How Will Crystal Lake Tell a Prequel Story That Also Involves Jason?
Currently, details on how Crystal Lake will pan out are few and far between, but many believe that the project could well do for Friday the 13th what Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal did for the Hannibal Lecter franchise. While the story could begin as a prequel, it could also stretch into the existing lore of the franchise, even retelling some of the movies in some way.
During the Q&A, Fuller did however explain that Peacock has only ordered one season of the four that he pitched but would have to pay out a sizeable penalty if they fail to at least pick up a second season. In addition, he was asked about how Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother, would be explored in the show. In response, he said, “We’re honestly going to be covering it all. The series is covering the life and times of these two characters.”
The Friday the 13th franchise is something of an oxymoron in the movie world. The series failed to get any kind of critical praise from the majority of reviewers but has managed to constantly find its audience and put out sequel after sequel. Having been stuck in legal limbo for almost a decade, the chances of seeing a new addition to the franchise appeared unlikely until things seemed to change at the end of 2022. Now, the question of whether a TV series can do something that none of the Friday the 13th movies have managed and become a critical hit is something that we still have a bit of a wait to find out.