Peacock’s Friday the 13th Prequel Is Already Looking Like a Must-Watch

This October is shaping up to be a great time for fans of horror on TV. American Horror Story is returning with a massive crossover in its thirteenth season. Horror power duo Mike Flanagan and Stephen King will premiere a new miniseries adaptation of Carrie on Prime Video. However, it’s Peacock’s Friday the 13th prequel series that is quickly becoming the most interesting release of the season. A new trailer for Crystal Lake gives us our best look at the show yet, and it delivers exactly what fans of the legendary horror film expect.

The new trailer focuses on Pam Voorhees (Linda Cardellini) as she integrates into the Crystal Lake community at the local summer camp with her son, Jason. The young boy tragically drowns, sending Pam into a deep depression. She appears haunted by his death and even feels that Jason may still be out there. It’s not long before strange circumstances begin occurring in Crystal Lake, including gruesome murders. What’s behind the bloodshed is left unsaid.

One of the best parts of the trailer is how much classic horror gore it serves up. The prospect of a prestige miniseries set before one of the most iconic horror movies ever has always been a bit of a strange pitch, but it seems A24 and Peacock aren’t shying away from the franchise’s bread and butter: expect lots of sex and blood. The trailer notes that the show begins in 1971, which means Jason’s death has been moved up from the original movie’s version of events in 1957.

When does Crystal Lake premiere?

The series will premiere on Thursday, Oct. 15 exclusively on Peacock. It will consist of eight one-hour long episodes that will all be released at once. Brad Caleb Kane (It: Welcome to Derry, Tokyo Vice, Warrior) serves as the creator and showrunner. Alongside Cardellini, the cast includes William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins, Gwendolyn Sundstrom, and more.

As part of our 2026 Fall Preview, we talked to Kane about the pressures of leading a project so many have tried and failed to bring to fruition, as well as balancing bloody horror with psychological thrills. He also gave a tease at just how much fans can expect to see of Jason.

“They’ll see more than they think they will.” Kane shared, “So no hockey mask, because we don’t go up through the events of Part Three, but that doesn’t mean we don’t go into mask territory. And that doesn’t mean we don’t see Jason, and potentially very clearly. So I’ll just leave that right there.”