There won’t be a hockey mask sign, but the Friday the 13th franchise is getting a prequel series written by Bryan Fuller.
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Friday the 13th has a long and complex history when it comes to rights issues, which is one reason it’s been so many years since new movies were released in the franchise. However, it appears that while Jason Voorhees may not be donning his hockey mask for the foreseeable future, Peacock has placed an outright order for a new prequel series titled Crystal Lake. According to Varietythe show will be written by Bryan Fuller and will be called an “extended prequel.”
Friday the 13th has been in legal tangles for over a decade, keeping the rights to Jason Voorhees’ character separate from those of the Friday the 13th name, meaning making a Friday the 13th a movie with Jason as the main character is off limits because no one seems to be able to compromise on how such a movie would proceed. However, with the original film not featuring the iconic hockey mask-wearing villain as the killer, one would assume a prequel will build a new story around Jason’s mother, Pamela, and possibly how Jason drowned in the titular location of Crystal Lake. NBCUniversal Television and Streaming chair of entertainment content Susan Rovner said in a statement:
“’Friday the 13th’ is one of the most iconic horror franchises in cinema history and we were eager to revisit this story with our upcoming drama series ‘Crystal Lake’. We can’t wait to join our incredible partners at A24 to work with Bryan Fuller, a gifted, visionary creator with whom I have had the pleasure of being a longtime friend and collaborator, in this updated version for Peacock that will amaze loyal fans of the franchise.”
How are you Friday the 13th Prequel to make now?
The rights to the Friday the 13th franchise are engaged in one of the longest and most complicated legal battles of any film series. The new prequel will be executive produced by Victor Miller, who wrote the script for the original Friday the 13th movie. Miller was involved in the lawsuit with his attorney Marc Toberoff, to try to regain the rights to the script he wrote. He eventually got the US rights to the screenplay in 2021, meaning he can use everything captured in the original film, but none of the subsequent sequels, including the hulking Jason and his hockey mask.
This means that Crystal Lake can explore what prompted Pamela Voorhees to take revenge on those she blamed for the death of her son Jason, which is likely where the show will take place. For Bryan Fuller, working on the series seems like something that’s been coming for a while. He noted:
“I discovered ‘Friday the 13th’ on the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was 10 years old and I’ve been thinking about this story ever since. When it comes to horror, A24 is raising the bar and pushing the boundaries and I’m excited to explore the Crystal Lake camp grounds under their banner. And Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does. It is a pleasure and an honor to work with her again.”