A new trailer for the upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake has given fans a closer look at the story while also suggesting major changes to the franchise’s established history. The series focuses on Pamela Voorhees, who was the killer in the original 1980 Friday the 13th film, rather than Jason Voorhees. Linda Cardellini will play the character in the new series, which appears set to create its own version of the story surrounding Camp Crystal Lake.
In the original film, Jason was a young boy who reportedly drowned at Camp Crystal Lake while the lifeguards were distracted. His mother Pamela later became the killer, blaming the camp staff for her son’s death. The franchise later introduced Jason as a grown man and turned him into the central villain. Across the movies, his story changed several times. He died in Part IV, was replaced by another killer in Part V and was brought back through lightning in Part VI as an almost impossible to kill figure.
The Crystal Lake trailer appears to take a different approach to Jason’s origin. The story moves the timeline to 1971, while the original film established that the killings began in 1958. Pamela is shown as one of the killers, but the trailer also includes a blurry figure who appears similar to Jason. There is also a reference to a victim who looked as though they had been killed by a bear. These details raise the possibility that a grown Jason could be involved in the events.
Another mystery comes from a scene involving what appears to be a laboratory. The trailer also asks what Pamela and Jason “really” are. This could suggest that the series will explore an explanation for Jason’s unusual abilities. Earlier films have offered different ideas about his survival and powers, including the laboratory storyline in Jason X, where scientists studied him because he could not die.
The series is set during the Vietnam War, which could also point to a government connection. All eight episodes of Crystal Lake are scheduled to arrive on Peacock Oct. 15th, giving the series a chance to establish a new version of the Friday the 13th mythology.
