As a lifelong fan of the Friday the 13th franchise, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia and disappointment at the same time whenever I hear about the latest developments in the series. The original film, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, holds a special place in my horror-loving heart, and I’ve always been intrigued by the behind-the-scenes stories that shaped this iconic franchise.
For over a decade, the franchise has faced a rocky period due to ongoing legal disputes that halted production of any new films or series. However, it appears these issues are finally resolving, but the director of the 1980 film finds himself reminiscing about one of Jason’s kills he never got to film when his own TV show concept fell through.
As a devoted horror enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that A24 and Peacock are joining forces to bring “Friday the 13th” to our TV screens with “Crystal Lake”. Yet, this collaboration too seems to be facing some challenges. Interestingly, before the green light was given for this show, Sean Cunningham, the original director, had been working on his own television series, but unfortunately, that project didn’t see the light of day, as he himself revealed at Silver Scream Con (via Bloody Disgusting).
Previously, the copyright term ended for the initial script, leading to uncertainty about ownership after 35 years. Lawyers were sorting out these issues, and we were contemplating our next steps. We were in the process of creating a television series, which showed promising progress. I was excited about it. I believed it would be entertaining, but then the rights issue exploded, causing the TV series to be delayed, and shortly after, the pandemic hit us.
During the interview, Cunningham expressed regret over a specific “shot” he wished to capture for the series, but unfortunately couldn’t because it was canceled. He elaborated on the scene by explaining:
A group of children, aged around 8 and 9 years old, are having a game of peewee hockey on the ice. One child attempts a breakaway, skates towards the goal, but finds Jason guarding the net. The child tries to score, but Jason blocks the shot. Another child then scores the goal, causing cheers of excitement. However, Jason appears angry and begins swinging at the children, which causes the ice to crack. At this point, the scene ends. It later transpired that high school students had filmed this video as a prank, and it quickly became popular online. Despite finding it somewhat foolish, I still found it entertaining. If only we had the opportunity to film something similar ourselves.
Crystal Lake is Moving Forward with a New Writer
As a passionate movie critic, I was eagerly anticipating Bryan Fuller’s “Crystal Lake” series on Peacock to satisfy my Jason fix. However, it appears that the journey through Camp Crystal Lake will now be guided by a new showrunner, Brad Caleb Kane, as Fuller has parted ways with the production due to creative differences. Intrigued by the turn of events, I recently had an opportunity to delve deeper into the reasons behind Fuller’s departure from the series, courtesy of Victor Miller, the man who brought Jason Voorhees to life in the first place.
Bryan secured the job, but it faced approval first. Once approved, it moved ahead with preparations for the writing team. However, they grew uncomfortable with the direction Bryan was taking. They believed it would be overly grim. Consequently, they decided to drop the project and brought in a new writer instead.
It’s tough to envision a project incorporating murder and mutilation being perceived as anything other than too grim, yet this appears to be the factor that led Fuller to depart from “Crystal Lake”. The future direction of the series remains uncertain, something we’ll need to discover in time. As of now, there’s no confirmed release date for the series, but Cunningham hinted that it might start filming later this year, with a projected launch in 2025.
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2024-09-17 14:32