Crystal Lake Creator Promises Rivers of Blood in Friday the 13th Prequel Series

Crystal Lake keeps its secrets buried, but the Friday the 13th prequel’s creator vows rivers of blood, teasing a vicious, gore-soaked origin story.

Camp Crystal Lake is almost open for business again. The Friday the 13th prequel series, Crystal Lake, quietly wrapped filming in October, and creator Brad Caleb Kane just gave a rare peek at what we’re getting into. Short version: expect some gnarly horror, but not in the exact way you might think.

So what kind of show is this, exactly?

Kane told Entertainment Weekly that Crystal Lake is built like a throwback thriller first, splatterfest second. He keeps calling it a 'paranoid 1970s thriller' and a psychological piece that borrows slasher DNA without fully living in the slasher lane. That doesn’t mean it’s tame.

'There are rivers of blood in the show... ingenious kill sequences and deaths... but it’s all done in service of character and theme and place and time.'

That last bit is the interesting swing here: yes, kills, but threaded into something moodier and more character-driven than a straight body count. Kane is anchoring the whole thing in the cultural stew that birthed the original film: the ’70s wave of paranoia, distrust of institutions, the women’s liberation movement and the National Organization for Women, and the broader consciousness-raising vibe of the era. On paper, that’s a pretty bold angle for a Friday the 13th prequel.

The big swing: Pamela Voorhees front and center

Linda Cardellini is playing Pamela Voorhees, which is a genuinely great piece of casting. If you need a refresher, Pamela was the killer in the first movie, driven by grief and rage after her son Jason drowned at camp. Kane is clearly high on Cardellini’s performance, saying she’ll shock a lot of people and is 'inconceivably brilliant' in the role. He wouldn’t say more than that, which, fine, tease away.

The rest of the lineup

• William Catlett (Abigail) as Levon Brooks
• Devin Kessler (Godfather of Harlem) as Briana Brooks
• Cameron Scoggins (Shades of Blue) as Dorf
• Gwendolyn Sundstrom (newcomer) as Grace
• Callum Vinson as young Jason Voorhees

Release window and what to expect

There’s no firm date yet, but Crystal Lake is targeting a 2026 debut on Peacock. That’s a long wait for fans who haven’t had much official Friday the 13th to chew on in years, which probably explains why Kane is emphasizing the tone and thematic footing this early. The pitch is essentially: moody ’70s paranoia with character-focused carnage. Not a pure slasher, but absolutely bloody.

Final thought

I’m curious about the blend they’re chasing here. A Friday the 13th prequel that leans into the era’s politics and paranoia while still delivering inventive kills is a tightrope act. If Cardellini lands Pamela the way Kane suggests, that alone could make this worth the wait.