The trailer for Crystal Lake, the upcoming Friday the 13th spin off series, has been released, offering a first look at the story behind Pamela Voorhees and her son Jason. The series is set in ‘70s New Jersey and takes place before the events of the original Friday the 13th. The story follows Pamela and young Jason as they travel to Camp Crystal Lake, where a tragic event involving Jason’s drowning will eventually shape the future of the family. The series also focuses on Pamela’s life and the changes that lead her toward the character audiences know from the original film.
Linda Cardellini plays Pamela Voorhees, while Callum Vinson portrays Jason. The prequel is expected to provide more information about the Voorhees family and Pamela’s life as a single mother raising her special needs child. It also looks at the personal choices and circumstances that become important to the family’s story.
Crystal Lake is being produced by A24 and will feature several directors across its episodes. Logan George, Celine Held, Quyen Tran and Michael Lennox have been selected to direct different episodes of the series. George is known for Caroline, Held directed Topside, Tran has worked on The Pitt and Lennox has directed episodes of Derry Girls. Having different directors for individual episodes gives the series several creative voices while keeping the story connected. The approach also allows each filmmaker to bring a different visual style to the world of Camp Crystal Lake and the Voorhees family.
The series marks the first new addition to the Friday the 13th franchise in 17 years. The most recent film was released in 2009 as a reboot of the original movie and received mixed reviews. Crystal Lake now takes the franchise in a different direction by going back to the early years of Pamela and Jason rather than continuing with another version of the familiar story.
The show will premiere on Peacock on October 15 with eight one hour episodes. All eight episodes will be released on the same day, allowing viewers to watch the complete season at once. The series will give both longtime Friday the 13th viewers and newcomers a chance to explore the origins of the Voorhees family and the events that shaped Jason’s story.
