With the long-running legal saga over the rights to the original Friday the 13th now seemingly behind us following last year’s court ruling, Peacock has announced that it has given a straight-to-series order to Crystal Lake, a prequel to the 1980 slasher classic from A24 and showrunner Bryan Fuller (Hannibal).
“I discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was 10 years old and I have been thinking about this story ever since,” said Fuller. “When it comes to horror, A24 raises the bar and pushes the envelope and I’m thrilled to be exploring the camp grounds of Crystal Lake under their banner. And Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be working with her again.”
“Friday the 13th is one of the most iconic horror franchises in movie history and we were dying to revisit this story with our upcoming drama series Crystal Lake,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We can’t wait to get to work with Bryan Fuller, a gifted, visionary creator who I’ve had the pleasure of being a longtime friend and collaborator, along with our incredible partners at A24, in this updated version for Peacock that will thrill long-standing fans of the franchise.”
Plot details for the series are being kept under wraps, but with original Friday the 13th screenwriter Victor Miller on board, it remains to be seen whether Jason Voorhees will feature in the series – at least, the adult, hockey (or bag) wearing incarnation of the character. The rights to the adult Jason – who didn’t debut in the series until Part 2 – are believed to remain with director and producer Sean S. Cunningham, with Miller’s victory last year only granting him the rights to the Friday the 13th title (inside the U.S.) and the characters and events established in the first film.
