Friday the 13th series commissioned by Peacock | New Series | MySeries

The series order follows a fascinating legal battle between the team behind the original horror film. Crystal Lake, as the prequel series should be called, comes from Star Trek: Discovery co-creator Bryan Fuller, who has been developing a Friday the 13th project since 2013, originally as a feature film. He will serve as writer, showrunner and executive producer.

A24 is the studio, while Victor Miller, who wrote the original screenplay for the 1980 film, Marc Toberoff, Miller’s copyright attorney, and Rob Barsamian, who produced the original film, will perform.

The original Friday the 13th film, starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Laurie Bartram and Kevin Bacon, follows a group of teenage camp counselors who are murdered at summer camp.

Palmer plays Ms. Vorhees who first murdered a few counselors at Camp Crystal Lake in 1959 after her son, Jason, supposedly drowned, before going on a killing spree in 1979 when a group tried to reopen the camp. Jason appears at the end of the film in an attempt to kill King’s character Alice after killing his murderous mother. The horror film was directed by Sean Cunningham.

All plot details for the series are being kept under wraps, but the legal battle, which was decided in September 2021, could shed light on what may or may not come to light. In the case, which was decided by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Miller won the rights to the character he created after a copyright battle. The producers of the original film – Horror Inc., which also includes Barsamian, had argued that Miller’s involvement was hired labor, but a judge ruled that was not the case.

The deal meant Miller could now greenlight a prequel series. The fact that Barsamian is one of the executive producers alongside Miller suggests that a deal has been struck between the bands. It’s been suggested by sources that this also opens the door for future feature films in the franchise.

It’s unclear if this means the team behind Crystal Lake will be able to use Jason’s famous hockey mask, which only appeared in Friday the 13th: Part III. There are also questions about the international release of such a project, as noted in the case. Since Peacock is only in the US, this might not be an immediate issue, but it’s unknown if it can be sold or released to broadcasters outside of the US. On the other hand, Peacock is part of the recently launched SkyShowtime streaming service in the Netherlands, so who knows?

Crystal Lake isn’t the first TV series based on the classic horror franchise. Friday the 13th: The series aired for three seasons between 1987 and 1990 by Frank Mancuso Jr. and Larry B. Williams. The series, which followed a few owners of a cursed antique shop, does not feature Jason or other characters from the films.

Bryan Fuller (pictured) had this to say: “I discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of a Famous Monsters magazine when I was ten and have been thinking about this story ever since. When it comes to horror, studio A24 explains Raising the bar and push the limits and I’m thrilled to explore Crystal Lake Campground under their banner.And Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does.It’s a pleasure and an honor to work with her again.

“Friday the 13th is one of the most iconic horror franchises in cinematic history, and we were excited to revisit that story with our upcoming drama series Crystal Lake,” added Susan Rovner, President, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal. Television and Streaming. “We look forward to joining our amazing partners at A24 to work with Bryan Fuller, a gifted and visionary creator with whom I have had the pleasure of being an old friend and collaborator, in this updated version for Peacock that will delight viewers. fans. of the franchise.”