Enthusiasts of the long-idle “Friday the 13th” series got some exciting news as Brad Caleb Kane, the showrunner for the upcoming prequel series titled “Crystal Lake,” announced on social media that preparations are now underway in earnest. Kane shared an image of a script draft for the series along with the caption “Crystal Lake Production Offices Now Open.” This announcement represents the most substantial advancement yet on the eagerly awaited collaboration between Peacock and A24, and importantly, it’s the first significant step forward for the franchise in any screen format since the 2009 reboot film was released. The prequel series is intended to delve into the ominous past that has been shrouded in mystery following the original movie, potentially ending a legal dispute over Crystal Lake that has lasted more than a decade.
As a diehard film fanatic, I’m thrilled to share that my Instagram post unveils a script with my name and the A24 emblem, crediting Victor Miller, the original 1980 ‘Crystal Lake’ film writer. This is solid proof that our beloved series has progressed beyond the development stage. The opening of production offices signals that the gears are now turning for filming.
This exciting news follows my appointment as showrunner for ‘Crystal Lake’, a role I eagerly accepted after Bryan Fuller, known for his work on ‘Hannibal’, stepped down due to creative disagreements over the series’ tone, as hinted by Sean S. Cunningham, the original director.
Recently, we’ve cast Linda Cardellini in a pivotal role as a young Pamela Voorhees. Her character is described as a mother who experiences a tragic turn of events following the loss of her son, Jason, roles she played exceptionally well in ‘Dead to Me’ and ‘Scooby-Doo’.
I can hardly contain my excitement for what lies ahead!
After a 16-year pause, it’s not that we didn’t try to produce another Friday the 13th movie. The franchise, well-known for its chilling horror contributions and substantial earnings, has been stuck in a legal quagmire for years. Numerous efforts to create new sequels or reboots have faltered, leaving fans questioning if Jason Voorhees would ever return with his signature slash. However, Kane’s update finally puts an end to one of the longest and most frustrating breaks in modern horror cinema history.
Friday the 13th‘s Long Road to a Revival
In 1980, the first “Friday the 13th” movie was released and directed by Cunningham. It gained fame for cashing in on the slasher craze sparked by “Halloween.” The screenplay was penned by Miller. The film’s unexpected twist at the end revealed that the mysterious killer haunting the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake wasn’t a supernatural entity, but rather Pamela Voorhees (played by Betsy Palmer), who had been the camp cook. Her intention was to seek revenge against the counselors she believed were responsible for her son Jason’s drowning death many years earlier. It was only in later sequels that Jason Voorhees, the primary antagonist of the franchise, became more prominent. He first appeared in a brief scene at the end of the original film, and he didn’t start wearing the iconic hockey mask until “Friday the 13th Part III.
The initial establishment served as the core conflict in a prolonged legal dispute which eventually halted the production of the franchise. Original author Miller invoked the termination clause of U.S. Copyright Law to reobtain domestic rights to his 1980 screenplay. Director-producer Cunningham and his company Horror Inc. contested this, maintaining that Miller’s script was a work commissioned by them. After years of court battles, decisions in 2021 favored Miller, granting him control over the original U.S. screenplay and its components. However, Cunningham/Horror Inc. kept rights associated with the elements introduced in subsequent films, particularly the adult, masked Jason Voorhees character that is iconic for many fans of the series. This division of ownership appeared to be an almost impossible hurdle for creating new movies.
The Crystal Lake series, produced by the independent studio A24 for the Peacock streaming platform, is an innovative tactic to navigate this legal predicament. By concentrating on events preceding the 1980 film, the series can investigate the haunted camp’s past and significantly focus on Pamela Voorhees – a character and plot point directly derived from Miller’s legally owned screenplay. This prequel style enables creators to delve into the Friday the 13th universe without licensing specific elements (such as adult Jason), which are managed by Cunningham/Horror Inc. However, original director Cunningham has hinted at a potential Halloween 2025 release, but considering that the show is only starting production now, it seems doubtful.
Read More
- Best Race Tier List In Elder Scrolls Oblivion
- Becky G Shares Game-Changing Tips for Tyla’s Coachella Debut!
- Jelly Roll’s 120-Lb. Weight Loss Leads to Unexpected Body Changes
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Carmen Baldwin: My Parents? Just Folks in Z and Y
- Yvette Nicole Brown Confirms She’s Returning For the Community Movie
- Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Best Pilgrim Build
- Rachel Zegler Claps Back at Critics While Ignoring Snow White Controversies!
- `Tokyo Revengers Season 4 Release Date Speculation`
- Meet Tayme Thapthimthong: The Rising Star of The White Lotus!
2025-04-23 11:10