Psychological thriller series and prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise, Crystal Lake, premiering October 16, only on Stan. Starring Emmy nominee Linda Cardellini (DTF St. Louis, Dead to Me), Crystal Lake was created by showrunner, writer, and executive producer Brad Caleb Kane, who joins A24 and original Friday the 13th writer Victor Miller and Horror, Inc. in bringing the Jason Universe story to the screen.
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Crystal Lake gives fans and newcomers alike a suspenseful, all-new mystery as it expands the lore surrounding one of horror’s most infamous stories. It follows single mother Pam Voorhees (Emmy nominee Linda Cardellini) after her young son Jason’s drowning in the town lake, a catalyst for her elusive past to return. When two strangers suddenly arrive at Pam’s door, digging into her past, a disturbing chain of events is set into motion that has the townspeople wondering: just who is Pam Voorhees, and what horrors haunt Crystal Lake?
In addition to Cardellini, the ensemble cast brings to life a host of characters that capture the distinctive quirks and eccentricities of small-town life in Crystal Lake, including William Catlett as local police chief, Levon Brooks, and Devin Kessler as Levon’s journalist sister, Brianna; Cameron Scoggins as police officer Dorf; Gwendolyn Sundstrom as Grace, a fellow camper and friend of Jason; and Callum Vinson as young Jason.
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From Crystal Lake Creator / Writer / Showrunner / Executive Producer Brad Caleb Kane (IT: Welcome to Derry, Tokyo Vice, Warrior) and Executive Producers Marc Toberoff, Victor Miller, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian, Stuart Manashil, Tyson Bidner, Michael Lennox, and Roy Lee.
Right on time for Halloween, the new series Crystal Lake premieres October 16, all episodes at once, only on Stan.
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In 1980, Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, helped define the modern slasher genre and has had an enduring influence on horror movies ever since. The film’s memorable and deeply unsettling location in the dark woods, relentless slayings, and legendary twist led it to become one of the most iconic horror franchises in cinematic history, with 12 films spanning 1980 to 2009.
The original film was an edge-of-your-seat whodunit with audiences waiting to discover who the killer was until the final moments. In an unforgettable turning point, it was revealed that it was camp cook and Jason’s mother, Pamela Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), seeking revenge on the people who had decided to reopen the camp as if nothing tragic had ever happened there.
After Pamela was ultimately killed by Alice (Adrienne King) in the final moments of Friday the 13th, the sequels shifted focus to her son, Jason. Writer Ron Kurz’s Friday the 13th Part 2 reset the story focused on Jason as an adult killer stalking new victims around Crystal Lake, while Director Steve Miner shaped the character’s evolution across both Part 2 and Part 3 movies. In the third film, Jason donned the hockey mask that would become one of the most recognizable images in horror history.
The Friday the 13th films were massive box-office successes, and beyond the movies, the franchise also expanded into comics, novels, and video games. The series also helped establish many of the horror genre’s most enduring tropes, including the idea of the “final girl” – the last survivor who confronts the killer.
For many horror fans, Friday the 13th was their gateway into the genre, and that includes Crystal Lake creator, showrunner, executive producer, and writer, Brad Caleb Kane; “I was a big horror nerd growing up in the ‘80s,” he shares. “I saw everything that came out during the Golden Age of the slasher film. The first slasher film I remember seeing was Friday the 13th Part III in 3D. It was a full house, and people were yelling at the screen. I knew from that minute on that I was going to do something in the Friday the 13th universe someday. It’s what made me want to make movies, specifically horror films and horror television. It was my entry point.”
In developing the idea for the series, Kane set out to reframe Friday the 13th to ensure that there would be satisfying reasons for it to exist. “One of the big questions for me was, “Why does Jason kill?” he notes. “In the movies, people are trespassing on the campgrounds, and Jason carries out the work his mother started. He sees all these horny teens as avatars for the teens who neglected him and let him drown. But in our show, we frame it a little bit differently, because Pamela is the lead, and we see her kill first.”
While Crystal Lake sustains its own identity, the series will delight fans of the franchise by paying homage to the original Friday the 13th with recognizable Easter eggs throughout. Fans will undoubtedly become obsessed with connecting the dots and seeing a whole new story from a world they are deeply passionate about, as the series redefines this enduring story.