The horror film franchise that keeps giving gets a casting update! According to Deadline, Linda Cardellini, best known for Dead to Me and No Good Deed, has signed on to portray Pamela Voorhees in Friday the 13th prequel series, Crystal Lake, on Peacock.
Linda Cardellini is known for playing simple, quickly loved characters throughout her career, from her small role in 2001's Legally Blonde as Chutney, to her more important role as Velma Dinkley in the 2002 Scooby-Doo live-action film. Pamela Voorhees is a well-established horror icon with years of expectations behind her role in Friday the 13th's success since the first 1980 film. Betsy Palmer first originated the role.
Some fans aren't sure Caradellini can garner the acting range for such a "great character who is incredibly crazy," wrote a commenter on Deadline's casting announcement. Others disagree, saying they "feel like we got a good glimpse of this [character similar to Pamela] in Dead to Me." They note that they think "it'll be good" with that acting credit in her arsenal.
Brad Caleb Kane will serve as showrunner. He is also the Crystal Lake series' creator, writer, and executive producer. Kane's horror credits are pretty stellar including projects like the highly-anticipated It prequel series, Welcome to Derry for Max. With that in mind, surely he can produce an excellent prequel series for Friday the 13th that fans will love.
After waiting for three years since the show was first announced, can the series live up to the hype, or will it fall through the cracks? We'll have to wait and see. The release date is unclear at the moment. In September 2024, The Feature Presentation Studios posted that the horror drama would be released Halloween 2025, though that has not been confirmed by the studio or Peacock yet.
In celebration of Friday the 13th in Decemeber 2024, the showrunner shared a long-awaited update. With "more news to come," he says, "the goal is to give the fans (including myself) a tense, scary, bloody, and satisfying ride that’s well worth the wait." Kane shared the original mother-son Voorhees duo in a time capsule photo, Betsy Palmer (Pamela Voorhees) and Jason Voorhees (Ari Lehman).
After dropping the Pamela Voorhees casting bombshell, fans wonder who Peacock will cast as Jason Voorhees. As the most crucial role in the movies besides his mother, Jason must be cast with care and respect for the generations of movie fans. Although we may not see much of his face or hear his voice, his body language will speak for him.
Of today's up-and-coming actors, the choices are endless. Will casting directors choose a well-known actor like they did for Pamela, or will they cast the role to a newer actor? Either way, whoever acts opposite Linda Cardellini will be in great company. Cardellini's casting will likely bring in newer viewership as she brings her fan base to the franchise.
With the Halloween 2025 release date prediction, hopefully we'll receive more concrete news for the upcoming prequel series, Crystal Lake from the Friday the 13th film franchise in the coming months.