Peacock and A24’s upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake just suffered a major behind-the-scenes shakeup. Writer-producer Bryan Fuller has exited as showrunner of the project, which was set to begin filming this year, as A24 “has elected to go a different way with the material.”
“Adapting classic horror is something I have some experience with. These shows require a vision that elevates and transforms, as well as delivers what audiences have come to expect, which is an ambitious and risky endeavor,” Fuller wrote on Instagram last week. “It requires people to take the leap with me.”
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Fuller noted that “when it works… the results can be powerful for the storytellers and the audience.” He named Hannibal, his Mads Mikkelsen-starring NBC series that ran from 2012 through 2015, as an example, sharing that he “couldn’t be more proud of the work my co-showrunner Jim Danger Gray and I were able to accomplish with our brilliant writing staff despite the challenges we faced.”
“For reasons beyond our control, A24 has elected to go a different way with the material. We hope the final product will be something Friday the 13th fans all over the world will enjoy,” he concluded.
Fuller’s exit came amid recent rumors that the show was scrapped altogether, with Jeff Sneider reported in his newsletter The Insneider that A24 had “pulled the plug” on the show, but it remained “unclear whether this is a permanent decision or a temporary on.” However, it seems that isn’t the case and the show will still go on. Sources told Bloody Disgusting that the show is still happening, but there is “some retooling of the project happening behind the scenes,” seemingly regarding Fuller’s replacement. According to Variety, original Friday the 13th writer Victor Miller remains on board as an executive producer with Marc Toberoff and Rob Barsamian.
Announced back in 2022 and set to expand the iconic horror franchise, Crystal Lake is set to serve as a prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise, which centers around killer Jason Voorhees. The original movie starred Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Laurie Bartram, and Kevin Bacon and followed a group of teenage camp counselors who are brutally murdered. The franchise has raked in over $460 million globally since the first film debuted back in 1980 and has grown to include 12 films.
