Crystal Lake Trailer Gives Us A Bloody Jason Voorhees Origin Story
Peacock has released a brand new trailer for "Crystal Lake," the prequel series set in the "Friday the 13th" universe. This marks the return of one of the biggest slasher franchises ever for the first time in 17 years. Well, technically the second time after last year's "Sweet Revenge" short film, but this is the first full-blown project to feature the Voorhees family in a long time. So, what exactly are fans in for? Will this scratch the itch? Those who have been hoping to see Jason Voorhees back in action, don't get your hopes up too high.
The show takes place in 1971, close to a decade before the events of the original 1980 slasher classic "Friday the 13th." Unsurprisingly, it starts with a young Jason drowning, which is what sets his mother Pamela (Linda Cardellini) onto her dark path. (It appears Jason may be involved in the bloodshed as well, but the trailer is playing it somewhat coy.) Overall, this looks like the "It: Welcome to Derry" of the "Friday the 13th" universe, for better or worse, which very much appears to be the intention.
On the nose it may be, the trailer's set to the tune of "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult. Yes, the song from Christopher Walken's famous "Saturday Night Live" cowbell sketch. The synopsis for the show reads as follows:
A prequel to the "Friday the 13th" franchise, the series follows single mother Pam Voorhees, who has been unable to shake her grief after her young, sickly son Jason, tragically drowned in the town lake almost a year before. When two strangers arrive at Pam's door digging into her past, a disturbing chain of events is set into motion, leaving the townspeople of Crystal Lake wondering: Just who is Pam Voorhees?
Crystal Lake wants to scratch the Friday the 13th itch, but can it?
Among those joining Linda Cardellini ("Dead to Me") in the "Crystal Lake" cast are William Catlett ("Charm City Kings"), Devin Kessler ("Godfather of Harlem"), Cameron Scoggins ("Nashville"), and Gwendolyn Sundstrom ("I Don't Believe In Love").
The 2009 "Friday the 13th" remake conquered the box office, but then, Jason Voorhees vanished. Instead, the franchise got caught up in lawsuits that prevented anything meaningful from happening. Without getting into the weeds, basically, there's the adult Jason who we came to know in the "Friday the 13th" sequels, and then there's Pamela in the original 1980 film that launched the horror property (where Jason didn't show up until the very end).
This show is very much trying to go back to the beginning, then, leaning on Pamela. The problem is that, for the majority of horror fans, this franchise really is inherently connected to the hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding grown-up Jason. Can this series really scratch that itch without him? We shall see.
Development has not gone smoothly, though. Originally, Bryan Fuller ("Hannibal") was overseeing the series, and his canceled version could've seen Charlize Theron playing Pamela. Instead, Brad Caleb Kane ("It: Welcome to Derry," "Warrior") is serving as the creator and showrunner of the iteration that made it to air.
Meanwhile, a new "Friday the 13th" movie is also said to be happening, although updates on that have been few and far between. What's more, "Sweet Revenge" director Mike P. Nelson has actually pitched his take to the film's producers, but, again, his involvement isn't confirmed for the moment. So, until things change, this show is taking the spotlight. We'll see if it can effectively fill the void.
"Crystal Lake" premieres on Peacock on October 15, 2026.