The trailer for the “Friday the 13th” spin-off show “Crystal Lake” was unveiled, giving fans a look at a new take on the horror classic. The show will follow Pamela Vorhees and her son Jason Voorhees as they head to Camp Crystal Lake for the first time, eventually leading to Jason’s unfortunate drowning, while also following Pamela’s unraveling into what we see in the original film.
Starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees and Callum Vinson as her son, Jason, the series is set in ‘70s New Jersey, predating the events of “Friday the 13th.” This prequel will also give fans more backstory into the Voorhees family. It will also flesh out the story of Pamela Voorhees, the single mother who gives up her career to raise her special needs child.
Produced by “A24,” the studio behind “Backrooms” and “Primetime,” the show hands a variety of directors the reins. Four different directors have been chosen to direct their specific episodes, which should make the show interesting through their different visualizations. Logan George (“Caroline”), Celine Held (“Topside”), Quyen Tran (“The Pitt”) and Michael Lennox (“Derry Girls”) have all been chosen as the show's directors. This development will give the show an exciting, new feel with every episode based on each director’s vision for the series.
“Crystal Lake’s” writer and creator, Brad Caleb Kane, is an experienced horror showrunner with recent works including “IT: Welcome To Derry” as well as “Tokyo Vice.” Joining Cardellini and Vinson are William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins and Gwendolyn Sundstrom.
Fans should not go into the show with high expectations for gore or blood, as the show has been labelled as psychological horror, focusing more on the impact of loss on a mother’s psyche. Surely, there will be plenty to keep the most sadistic satisfied, as showrunners and marketing have made it clear the show will be more of a small-town mystery rather than a straight-forward slasher. Pamela Voorhees, struggling with the grief of losing her child, is approached by two mysterious figures, setting off a chain of events through reminders of her past.
“Friday the 13th’s” legacy sparked the blueprint for what a slasher film is today, inspiring films such as “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” and “In a Violent Nature.” It normalized the use of a campground settings for horror movies, redefining what slasher movies were in the early ‘80s. When it was released, it changed the scene from a Halloween night in Haddonfield, being stalked by Michael Myers to a lake surrounded by woods being unknowingly stalked by an anonymous killer. While it may not be as celebrated as “Halloween” or its rivals at the time, “Friday the 13th” is still regarded as a classic by most fans.
This show will be the first addition to the “Friday the 13th” franchise in 17 years, with the last film being released in 2009. This could lead to a whole new generation of fans being introduced to the universe for the first time. The last “Friday the 13th” released was met with mixed reviews based on the fact it was a reboot of the original film. It will be interesting to see how new and old fans alike react to this upcoming series.
“Peacock’s” release on Oct. 15 will include eight, one-hour long episodes which are exclusive to the platform. Viewers will be given the entire series on one singular day, allowing the whole series to bingeable upon release.
