A24’s 'Crystal Lake' Series: A Deep Dive into the Origins of Jason Voorhees' Chilling Town

A24’s upcoming television series Crystal Lake, set to premiere on Peacock on October 15, marks the return of the Voorhees family after nearly two decades. The show, described as a prequel/reimagining of the Friday the 13th franchise, delves into the origins of Jason Voorhees and his mother, Pamela Voorhees.

Linda Cardellini, best known for her roles in Freaks and Geeks, ER, and the 2000s Scooby-Doo films, has been cast as Pamela Voorhees. Cardellini’s involvement is significant, as Pamela is the iconic killer in the original Friday the 13th (1980) and its sequels. Notably, Jason Voorhees and his hockey mask do not appear as the primary antagonist in the first film; instead, it is Pamela who wreaks havoc.

According to Peacock, Crystal Lake will explore the lives of the Voorhees family before the events of the original movie. This suggests the series will be a period-piece prequel set in the 1950s, focusing on the Voorhees family prior to the bullying and presumed death of young Jason at Camp Crystal Lake.

The approach of reimagining a classic horror film has proven successful before. For example, A&E’s Bates Motel (2010s) effectively reinterpreted Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), uncovering psychological depth and dramatic potential. However, Friday the 13th differs from Psycho in tone and intent. While Psycho explored deep psychological themes, Friday the 13th was a more overt slasher film that kicked off the gory horror wave of the 1980s. This raises questions about whether Crystal Lake can uncover similar dramatic heft.

Nevertheless, revisiting the origins of the Friday the 13th lore is intriguing, particularly because of its bizarre and twisted nature. Consider this: in nearly every Friday the 13th film, outsiders—often young, horny, and not from the area—arrive in town to work at the summer camp by the lake. These outsiders, along with their parents, are systematically targeted by the killer, creating a pattern that has become a hallmark of the franchise.