Summary
Whilehockey-mask-wearing Jason Voorheesis one of the most well-known slasher villains, his mother Pamela Voorhees made a big impression in the originalFriday the 13thmovie.Played by Betsy Palmer, thehorrorvillain gets revenge on behalf of her son Jason, who was bullied.Ghostface even quizzes Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) about theFriday the 13thvillainwhen he phones her in theScreamopening scene.
Fans have been waiting for news about theFriday the 13thprequel seriesCrystal Lakefrom A24 and Peacock.Linda Cardellini was cast as Pamela Voorhees, and it will be fascinating to see how she takes on this famous character. But how do fans really feel about the prequel series?
Linda Cardellini Will Play Pamela Voorhees, But Is The Friday The 13th Prequel Crystal Lake A Good Idea?
Although Linda Cardellini is a talented star known for her roles on dark series such asDead To Me,Bloodlines, andMad Menand it will be fun to see her play Pamela Voorhees, some might say that theFriday the 13thprequelCrystal Lakeisn’t the right move for the horror franchise. The biggest question is,what story willCrystal Laketell that hasn’t been told before?The iconicFriday the 13thslasher franchisehas shared the backstory of Jason and Pamela Voorhees, and fans know all about Jason’s bullying and tragic drowning in 1957.
According to Deadline, people think Cardellini’sCrystal Lakecharacter Pamela will be a mom grieving the loss of their son, who is special needs, who is also grappling with wanting to pursue a career in the music industry. She decided not to become a singer so she could raise her child, and now she has lost him. However,ifCrystal Lakeshares Pamela’s life when Jason is a kid, is that enough material for an entire season, let alone several seasons of a TV show?
Pamela is one ofthe most well-known female horror villainsbecause her motive is protecting her son. It sounds like she would still have the same motive in the new show, but the action happens when the counselors show up for work at Camp Crystal Lake in the firstFriday the 13thmovie and Pamela becomes a killer. WillCrystal Lakereveal that she was a murderer all along? Would that make sense? If the series explains that she became a killer because of what happened to Jason, horror fans could say they already knew that.
What Are Some Of Linda Cardellini’s Roles?
When Pamela is introduced inFriday the 13th, she works in the kitchen at Camp Crystal Lake, and she could have that same job inCrystal Lake. A summer camp is always amemorable horror movie settingsince there’s a contrast between fun and innocent activities and a slasher villain going on a killing spree. Butis it interesting to see Pamela in this exact same setting?It makes sense not to switch up the main location, but it also might feel like too much of the same. It would be more exciting to show Pamela at camp but also have flashbacks to her life before that. It’s also possible that the prequel will show Pamela’s life before Camp Crystal Lake and then explain how she gets hired there and plots her revenge. But, again, do fans need to know that?
Friday the 13thfans aren’t sure about the prequeland have shared their thoughts onReddit. One fan wrote:
“I don’t understand why a prequel series is needed. Like the original movie is literally the prequel story at this point. Going before that would just be a summer camp comedy.”
Another fan would be happy to see another entry in the franchise instead:
“Just give us a location and a big group of characters (make them likable) and let Jason cause mayhem.”
What Did The Showrunner Say About The Friday The 13th Prequel Crystal Lake?
In December 2024,Brad Caleb Kane posted an update aboutCrystal Lakeon Instagram and wrote,“scripts have been and are being written.”
WhileBryan Fuller was originally attached to the project, he left in May 2024, and Kane was brought on as showrunner. He is writing, directing, and executive producing. Fuller gave a few interviews while he was still working on the prequel. In 2022, he toldFangoria.com:
“Everything. We can useeverything. We can go to Hell, we can go to space. That’s not to say that wewilldo those things … although if wedogo 10 seasons, I will be lobbying hard to go to space.”
While fans know thatPamela Voorhees is the main focus ofCrystal Lake, couldthe genuinely scary villain Jason Voorheesappear as well? Fuller said:
“I wouldn’t count Jason out… I think over the course of the series you will see many familiar manifestations of Jason!”
It’s unclear if Kane’sCrystal Lakewill feature Jason Voorhees as well. It’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t show up at least a few times, given his importance to the slasher story.
