A familiar killer will soon be back in town, albeit with a new face. Linda Cardellini, of ER and Dead to Me fame, has closed a deal to play Pamela Voorhees in Peacock and A24’s upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake.
While the hockey mask-wearing Jason Voorhees is now the face of the franchise, longtime fans will know that the character was the OG serial killer who started it all. The original 1980 film followed a group of teenage camp counsellors as they get murdered one by one while trying to reopen Camp Crystal Lake. Pamela was later revealed to be the culprit, hell-bent on avenging the death of his son, Jason, who she believes drowned when the counsellors were having sex.
This makes Cardellini the fifth actor to step into the role, following in the footsteps of Marilyn Pocher, Paula Shaw, Nana Visitor in various sequels, crossovers, and reboot movies, and original star Betsy Palmer. Brad Caleb Kane, known for developing HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, will serve as creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer on the project. Victor Miller, who penned the original film in the franchise, is also onboard as executive producer, alongside Marc Toberoff, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian, and Stuart Manashil.
Other details about Crystal Lake, including plot specifics, a shooting schedule, and a planned release window remain under wraps, but the long-gestating series has been in production hell for several years. It was first announced in October 2022 with Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller at the helm, who later departed the project due to creative differences.
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, the original Friday the 13th starred Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, and Kevin Bacon. The movie was a major box office success and has since spawned 11 mainline instalments, including Jason X, Freddy vs. Jason, and a 2009 reboot. Jason stepped into the antagonist role from the second film onwards.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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