'Friday the 13th' prequel series 'Crystal Lake' in the works
Camp Crystal Lake, the home turf of horror icon Jason Voorhees, is back in business.
American video streaming service Peacock has announced that a Friday the 13th prequel titled Crystal Lake is being developed by A24, the studio behind acclaimed horror films such as Hereditary and Midsommar, as well as Everything Everywhere All at Once.
According to a report by Deadline, the series will come from Bryan Fuller, who will serve as its writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Fuller previously worked on a number of television series, including Hannibal and Star Trek: Discovery.
The Friday the 13th series of films is considered one of the most successful horror franchises in America, with the hockey mask of its main villain Jason Voorhees becoming a recognizable icon in popular culture.
Since the release of the first film in 1980, the franchise has spawned 11 more titles including a crossover with another horror icon, Freddy Krueger, from A Nightmare on Elm Street film series.
The films typically follow a group of camp counselors who reopen an abandoned summer camp called Camp Crystal Lake before they are stalked and brutally murdered by the machete-wielding, hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees.
The franchise eventually stopped at the 2009 reboot starring Jared Padalecki and Danielle Panabaker. No other film has since been released following a legal battle between the team behind the original horror film.
The copyright battle saw Victor Miller, who wrote the screenplay for the original film and who will also executively produce the upcoming series, trying to win the rights to the character that he created. This was contended by the producers of the original film, who argued that Miller’s involvement was work for hire, but the latter eventually emerged victorious.
While plot details are still under wraps, Susan Rovner, chairman of entertainment at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, teased that Crystal Lake will have some dramatic tones.
"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," Rovner said.
She added, "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."
Meanwhile, Fuller said that he is "thrilled to be exploring the camp grounds of Crystal Lake under [A24's] banner".