Summary
The unplannedCrystal LakeTV series from theFriday the 13thfranchise is well underway now, and the production has confirmed a shortlisted name for one of the show’s most important leading roles returning from the films.
TheFriday the 13thfilm series has become a mainstay in the horror genre, with the face of the franchise, Jason Voorhees, being universally recognized as a pop culture icon in his own right. After the IP went through some extensive legal troubles, things would finally wind down in 2022, allowing for the creation of a planned prequel series for the film franchise titledCrystal Lake. Named after the small town thatserved as the location for Jason’s drowningand the majority of the early events in the franchise, the show has been described as an extended prequel, and fans can assume it will reiterate the origins of the franchise’s iconic characters in more depth than ever before.
With show creator and scribe Brad Caleb Kane on board to serve as showrunner and executive producer, it’s been high time forCrystal Laketo start filling out its cast. It was rumored last month that theFriday the 13thPrequel Series was closing in on Linda Cardellinias an important addition to the cast, and now fans can rejoice as it’s been made official. As reported byDeadline, Cardellini has officially been brought on as Pamela Voorhees, the villain of the originalFriday the 13thfilm and the mother of the iconic Jason. Cardellini has prior experience in horror and black comedy, with award-nominated roles inThe Curse of La LloronaandDead to Me, among many other stellar performances. However, fans may most clearly remember her as Velma from the James Gunn-led duology of live-actionScooby-Doofilms in the 2000s.
Fans were promised more news whenCrystal Lakegot a brief update last year, and this is certainly a big addition. With Crystal Lake being a prequel series and Jason being established as largely nonverbal and requiring special attention as a child, Pamela is all but guaranteed to be the main character of the upcoming show. Cardellini, with her vast experience ranging from teen roles to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even some dramatic fare, is more than qualified to take on this important role in the lead. With no plot details available, it’s not quite clear what the project will demand of her, but fans will be able to get a clearer picture of what to expect as the rest of the cast is filled out over the rest of the year.
While the show is now entirely in the hands of Kane, original showrunnerBryan Fuller had some pretty poignant inspiration for theCrystal Lakeseriesbut also promised that fans would see multiple familiar iterations of Jason over the course of the show. There’s no telling what the new vision is, but there’s a lot of potential both in that original idea and elsewhere. Whatever the case may be, Cadellini’s casting is a strong first step in the right direction and fans can rest assured that the iconic character will be played to perfection.
TheFriday the 13thfilms are available to stream on Paramount+, while theCrystal LakeTV series is currently in development.
