Peacock has ordered a direct-to-series for the long-running (and prolonged hibernation) “Friday the 13th” film franchise for a prequel series titled “Crystal Lake”.
Brian Fuller, the television producer behind the likes of “American Gods,” “Pushing Dice” and “Hannibal,” will write, perform, and executive produce. A24, the studio responsible for distributing recent horror hits like “The Witch,” “Hereditary,” “X” and “Pearl,” will produce the show.
“I searched Friday the 13 in the pages of famous monster Magazine when I was 10 and I’ve been thinking about this story ever since,” Fuller said in a statement. “When it comes to horror, A24 picks up the bar and pushes the envelope and I go to camp. thrilled to explore the plains crystal lake under his banner. And [NBCUniversal’s] Susan Rovner is the best at everything she does. It is a pleasure and an honor to work with him again.”
The film would not be the first television spin-off for the franchise, as “Friday the 13th: The Series” (a loose spin-off centered on two cousins tracking down haunted or dangerous antiques) was released in the late 1980s. Let’s go to the episode. The franchise has spawned a general assortment of novels, video games, as well as toys, clothing, and related IP-specific merchandising tie-ins.
In May, Miller won legal control over his script and the original characters from the first film, but not the title “Friday the 13th” or the concept of an adult Jason Voorhees. Like the CBS procedural “Claris” which ran for one season in 2021 and explicitly forbids mentioning Hannibal Lecter, “Crystal Lake” likely was able to utilize at least some of that brand’s core elements. Will try to appeal to fans without IP. ,
The cult classic “Friday the 13th,” written by Victory Miller and directed by Sean S. Cunningham, opened in 1980 and introduced horror moviegoers to a mysterious camp counselor slasher who (spoiler alert, 42) is seeking revenge. The mother of a young camper who drowned at the site. The first sequel revived Jason Voorhees, the second sequel (in 3-D) gave him his iconic hockey mask — and the rest is history. “Friday the 13th” spawned nine traditional sequels between 1981 and 1993, followed by a team-up film (“Freddie vs. Jason”) in 2003, and a remake of Platinum Dunes in 2009.
Since then, the hack-and-slash series has been mired in rights issues related to moving from Paramount to New Line Cinema and then back to Paramount, while the franchise is embroiled in a long-running copyright legal dispute between Cunningham and Miller. . , The franchise was thus put on hold after the remake, which grossed $92 million worldwide on a $19 million budget, with all 12 films grossing $466.2 million worldwide on a combined $78.6 million budget.
Miller, Mark Toberoff (Miller’s copyright attorney) and Rob Barsamian Peacock will serve as executive producers for the show.
Fuller is reposted by WME and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
