The wait is almost over, campers. The official trailer for Crystal Lake, Peacock and A24’s Friday the 13th prequel series, has arrived, giving horror fans their best look yet at Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees and the terrifying events that will ultimately lead to the birth of one of the genre’s most infamous killers.
Created by Brad Caleb Kane, Crystal Lake takes viewers back to the world of Friday the 13th to tell the story of Pamela Voorhees before the events of the original 1980 movie. Cardellini stars as Pamela, with Callum Vinson playing her young son, Jason Voorhees.
The series follows Pam nearly a year after Jason’s tragic drowning in Crystal Lake. Still consumed by grief, she finds her life thrown into further turmoil when two strangers arrive at her door investigating her past. Their arrival sets off a disturbing chain of events and raises an ominous question among the residents of Crystal Lake: just who is Pam Voorhees?
The character of Pamela Voorhees was made iconic by Betsy Palmer in the original Friday the 13th. Rather than simply recreating Palmer’s performance, Cardellini is taking the opportunity to explore Pamela as a grieving mother and show the experiences that transform her into a killer.
And while the series is interested in Pamela’s emotional journey, Crystal Lake isn’t going to shy away from the bloody horror that fans expect from the Friday the 13th franchise. Cardellini has previously teased that the series gets “gory” and “gross,” with the production making extensive use of practical effects.
This isn’t simply a remake of Friday the 13th with a different cast. Crystal Lake is using the original movie as a starting point while building out the characters, history, and dark secrets surrounding the infamous camp.
When Does Crystal Lake Premiere?
All eight episodes of Crystal Lake will premiere on Peacock on October 15, 2026.
The series has also been selected for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, and the first 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.
The series is produced by A24, with Kane serving as creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer. The executive producers also include Marc Toberoff, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian, Stuart Manashil, Tyson Bidner, Michael Lennox, Roy Lee, and the late Victor Miller.
For Friday the 13th fans, Crystal Lake represents a long-awaited return to one of horror’s most recognizable settings. This time, though, the story isn’t about a masked killer stalking teenagers around a summer camp. It’s about the woman who started it all. And if this trailer is any indication, Pamela Voorhees is going to have one hell of a story to tell.
Will you be watching Crystal Lake? Take a look at the trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
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