Friday the 13th Prequel Given Straight-To-Series Order at Peacock

There won’t be any sign of a hockey mask, but the Friday the 13th franchise is getting a prequel series written by Bryan Fuller.

Paramount Pictures

Friday the 13th has had a long and complex history when it comes to rights issues, which is one reason why it has been so many years since any new movies have been released in the franchise. However, it seems that while Jason Voorhees may not don his hockey mask in the near future, Peacock has given a straight-to-series order for a new prequel series entitled Crystal Lake. According to Variety, the show will be written by Bryan Fuller and is being called an “expanded prequel.”

Friday the 13th has been tied up in legal knots for over a decade, with the rights to the character of Jason Voorhees being held separate from those of the Friday the 13th name, meaning that making a Friday the 13th movie with Jason as a main character has been off limits as no one seems able to come to a compromise over how such a movie would move forward. However, with the original movie not featuring the iconic hockey-mask-wearing villain as its killer, it would be assumed that a prequel will build a new story around Jason’s mother, Pamela, and possibly how Jason came to drown at the titular location of Crystal Lake. NBCUniversal Television and Streaming chairman of entertainment content Susan Rovner said in a statement:

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“’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.’ 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.”

Related: Friday the 13th Reboot Announcement Teased by Producer Amid Ongoing Legal Battle

How is a Friday the 13th Prequel Able to Be Made Now?

Paramount Pictures

The rights to the Friday the 13th franchise have been caught up in one of the longest and most complicated legal battles of any movie series. The new prequel is being executively produced by Victor Miller, who wrote the script for the original Friday the 13th movie. Miller was involved in the court case with his attorney Marc Toberoff, to try and reclaim the rights to the script that he wrote. He was eventually granted the U.S. rights to the screenplay in 2021, which means he can use anything established in the original movie but nothing from the subsequent sequels, including the hulking Jason and his hockey mask.

This means that Crystal Lake is able to explore what led to Pamela Voorhees seeking revenge against those she blamed for the death of her son Jason, which is likely where the show will be pitched. For Bryan Fuller, working on the series seems to have been something that has been coming for some time. He commented:

“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. 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.”

You can view the original article HERE.