We truly feared the worst for Friday the 13th earlier this year, as its long-awaited prequel series Crystal Lake hit a snag no one thought it would come back from.
Bryan Fuller, best known for his work on successful horror shows like Hannibal, exited the project as showrunner. In a flurry of confusion and conflicting reports, rumours flew that Fuller had in fact been fired, his vision for the show deemed “too ambitious.”
Whatever the case, Fuller took screenwriter Kevin Williamson with him when he departed, and with them went a “45-minute chase scene around a frozen Crystal Lake.” Fans accepted that this was just the latest development in what some call the “Friday Curse,” as each attempt at a new project rarely has a happy ending.
However, A24 and Peacock assured fans that the project was still active, and they intended to press ahead. Most Friday fans didn’t believe them… but it appears we should have.
It has been confirmed that Brad Caleb Kane will take on the project, allegedly taking it in a different direction than Fuller’s intended vision.
Kane has had a storied career to say the least, beginning his career as an actor, and most notably providing the singing voice for Aladdin in all of Disney’s animated instalments.
However, as showrunner and producer, Kane has just concluded work on HBO’s anticipated It prequel series, Welcome to Derry. Kane has also overseen production duties on shows such as Black Sails, Fringe, Crash, and Tokyo Vice.
Kane will also act as Crystal Lake’s primary writer, as well as overseeing the project, so… colour us intrigued.
Of his hiring, Kane said the following in a statement:
“From the moment I watched Jason Voorhees squeeze a guy’s eyeball out of its socket (in glorious 3D!) at the tender age of 8 years old, I knew my creative path was someday destined to converge with The Man Behind The Mask.” Nothing defined my childhood more than growing up in the golden age of the slasher flick, and nothing’s defined the genre more than Friday The 13th. I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to contribute a chapter to this iconic franchise, particularly with such fearless partners as Peacock and A24.”
Nothing is currently known about what Crystal Lake will entail plot-wise just yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we hear something.
