A new image from Crystal Lake gives horror fans another look at Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees in Peacock and A24’s upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series. The image was unveiled by ScreenRant as part of its fall TV preview. It shows Cardellini in character as Pamela, offering another glimpse at the woman whose story will eventually lead her to become the killer at the center of the original Friday the 13th.
Crystal Lake is a prequel to the original Friday the 13th and explores Pamela Voorhees’ life before the events of the 1980 slasher movie. Cardellini stars as Pamela, while Callum Vinson plays her young son, Jason Voorhees.
The official synopsis reads:
Crystal Lake is a prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise that explores Pamela Voorhees’ life before the events of the original film. The series follows single mother Pam Voorhees, who is struggling with grief nearly a year after her young, sickly son Jason tragically drowned in Crystal Lake. When two strangers arrive at Pam’s door investigating her past, a disturbing chain of events begins.
The new image comes as anticipation builds for the series, which will ultimately show how Pamela becomes the character audiences first encountered in Friday the 13th.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Crystal Lake is that the series isn’t simply retelling the events of the original movie. Instead, creator Brad Caleb Kane is exploring Pamela’s life and the circumstances surrounding Jason’s death. Cardellini has previously explained that she isn’t attempting to simply imitate Betsy Palmer’s iconic performance from the 1980 film. Instead, the series allows her to explore Pamela as a grieving mother and follow her transformation into a killer.
The series will also eventually embrace the bloody horror associated with the franchise. Cardellini recently teased that Crystal Lake gets “gory” and “gross,” with some particularly intense practical effects.
All eight episodes of Crystal Lake will premiere on Peacock on October 15, 2026. The premiere episode will also receive an exclusive screening at New York Comic Con on October 8, followed by a panel featuring Kane, Cardellini, Vinson, William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins, and Gwendolyn Sundstrom.
Warner Bros. Discovery acquired Crystal Lake for HBO Max across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, while Sky and NOW will carry the series in the UK and Ireland. The series has also been selected for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
For Friday the 13th fans, the series represents a rare opportunity to return to the world of Camp Crystal Lake while exploring the mythology from Pamela Voorhees’ perspective. And now we have another look at Linda Cardellini as the iconic character: