Crystal Lake has found the actor who will take on the role of Jason Voorhees, joining the Friday the 13th prequel while already having experience starring in an iconic horror franchise. The upcoming series will be produced by A24, and it is the first official entry in the Friday the 13th franchise since the 2009 reboot movie.

In Crystal Lake, audiences will be shown the events from before the first movie, as Pamela Voorhees continues to work at the titular summer camp. Linda Cardellini will take on the role of Pamela, also (spoilers!) the original movie’s killer. Crystal Lake is being developed by Bryan Fuller and is expected to stream on Peacock, and now has its young star.

Callum Vinson Starred In SyFy’s Chucky Series Before Becoming Crystal Lake’s Jason Voorhees

Vinson Previously Opposed Another Blade-Weilding Slasher

Reportedly, Callum Vinson has won the role of Camp Crystal Lake’s Jason Voorhees. Vinson previously appeared in Chucky, SyFy’s television continuation of the Child’s Play franchise. In season 3, Vinson joined the series as Henry Collins, the youngest son of the President of the United States of America.

Vinson is the tenth actor to take on the role of Jason Voorhees since the character first debuted in 1980’s Friday the 13th. While Pamela’s status as the killer in the flagship movie makes it likely that she will be the focus of the prequel series, Jason is still essential to the narrative as his time at the camp is the inciting incident of the entire franchise.

Callum Vinson’s Crystal Lake Role Will Be Very Different From Past Jason Voorhees Characters

The Series Will Depict A Renewed Perspective On The Character

Of course, those familiar with the Friday the 13th franchise will know that Crystal Lake‘s take on Jason will be a far cry from what audiences usually see the character as. Not only will Jason be just another camper, but he himself is a victim of neglect, as two camp counselors’ inattention leads to his drowning in the lake.

As neither Pamela nor Jason will likely be killers at the start of the series, Crystal Lake has the opportunity to explain several things about the franchise. One potential storyline could be the reasoning behind Jason’s supernatural abilities in later movies. Jason Goes to Hell insinuates that Jason was a Deadite, but it is unlikely the series will follow this.

However, the audience’s perspective on the character has changed in recent years. While he is still a terrifying force, the character’s more sympathetic elements have been highlighted by viewers, positioning him as a more tragic figure. This idea would be emphasized by Freddy VS Jason writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift when comparing Jason and Freddy Krueger.

Despite his key role in shaping the Slasher genre alongside Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger, Jason has always stood out because his motivations are less antagonistic. While Michael is largely framed as an unfeeling killer and Freddy was a killer before he became a nightmare monster, Jason is more reactive; he was pushed into the role of a killer.

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The scary world of Friday the 13th is coming to the small screen in Crystal Lake, and there’s already a lot to know about the Jason prequel show.

With this new perspective, it is likely that Pamela and Jason’s Crystal Lake arcs will have a more tragic angle. By spending more time with the Voorhees family, audiences will likely empathize more with them in the movies. Furthermore, Vinson portrays a horror victim in Chucky, hinting that his Jason will be more sympathetic.

Crystal Lake

Network

Peacock

Showrunner

Brad Caleb Kane

Writers

Brad Caleb Kane

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  Linda Cardellini

  Pamela Voorhees

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