News

On Halloween of 2022, it was announced that Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller would be developing a Friday the 13th series called Crystal Lake for A24 and the Peacock streaming service… but things have turned out to be more complicated than expected. First, the lengthy writers strike slowed down the progress of the show, then Fuller got the boot and was replaced. It remains to be seen when Crystal Lake will be going into production, but we thought this would be a good time for us to share Everything We Know About Crystal Lake!

First Showrunner

As mentioned, Bryan Fuller was steering this ship when it was first announced, and it nearly started filming with him (and his frequent collaborator Jim Danger Gray) at the helm. Production was set to begin on July 22, 2024, with filming to last for seven to eight months. Charlize Theron was being considered for the role of Pamela Voorhees,...

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.

April is right around the corner, marking the halfway point to the best holiday of the year: Halloween. Pluto TV is celebrating accordingly with the return of April Ghouls programming.

Beginning April 1, Pluto TV will be streaming themed programming dedicated to supernatural, thrills, and chills. April Ghouls will also feature stunts and horror film marathons across a number of channels; Pluto TV is making sure everyone is able to get in on the Halfway to Halloween fun.

To celebrate April Ghouls, here’s the horror that’s getting featured all April long.

New Horror Movies On Pluto TV This Month

● 30 Days of Night & 30 Days of Night: Dark Days

● Bram Stoker’s Dracula

● Deliver Us from Evil

● The Evil Dead (1983)

● Fright Night

● Grace: The Possession

● Idle Hands

● Oculus

● Only Lovers Left Alive

● Paranormal Activity 1-4

● Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

● Pet

● Pet Sematary II

● Quarantine

● The Ring, The Ring Two & Rings

● Silent Hill

● Skinwalkers

● Urban Legend,...

It's been a couple of years since we first got word that a new Friday the 13th prequel series is moving forward at Peacock, and we finally have our first bit of casting news for the show.

Jeff Sneider first reported that Linda Cardellini was in early talks to take on the key role of Jason Voorhees' mother in Crystal Lake last month, and Deadline has now confirmed that she has officially been cast.

Cardellini also played Clint Barton's wife, Laura, in Avengers: Endgame and Hawkeye.

According to the site, this take on Pamela Voorhees will be "a mother who had given up a singing career to raise a special needs child and takes a dark turn when she loses her son."

Brad Caleb Kane (Welcome to Derry) came on board as showrunner when Bryan Fuller parted ways with the project last year.

Fans have been waiting for something...

One era of the Friday the 13th franchise officially came to an end on January 1st, when the servers for Friday the 13th: The Game – an awesome game that was hindered by the legal issues the franchise went through in recent years – were shut down at the request of the rights holders. A new era is about to begin, with Linda Cardellini having been officially cast as Pamela Voorhees in the Peacock streaming series Crystal Lake. As we sit in this space between eras, we still have the movies to watch over and over again. So let’s take a look at this Friday the 13th Movies Ranked list!

While this list is all in good fun, I have to admit that I found it to be surprisingly difficult to put together. That’s because the Friday the 13th franchise is my favorite of all franchises and I love every one of these films.

Linda Cardellini is set to take on a chilling new role in Crystal Lake, a prequel to the iconic Friday the 13th slasher franchise. The acclaimed actress, known for her roles in Freaks and Geeks, Dead to Me, and ER, has been cast as Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees, the infamous killer who haunts Camp Crystal Lake. Crystal Lake, a drama series from Peacock and A24…

Source...

Linda Cardellini will reportedly take the lead role in the upcoming ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel series ‘Crystal Lake’.The 48-year-old actor will portray Pamela Voorhees, the psychopathic mother of serial killer Jason Voorhees, in an expanded prequel to the long-running horror franchise that is set to stream on Peacock, Variety has reported.The series was first announced in 2022 when it was given a straight-to-series order by Peacock. In the original 'Friday the 13th' film, released in 1980, Jason appears only as a child who drowns at Camp Crystal Lake, leading his mother to take brutal revenge on the camp counsellors she blames for his death. Jason himself becomes the franchise’s iconic slasher antagonist in subsequent films.Linda has also been cast in a leading role in HBO’s upcoming series ‘Dtf St. Louis’ alongside David Harbour, 48, and Jason Bateman, 55. She is a three-time Emmy nominee, earning recognition for...

Who is the killer in Sean Cunningham's iconic 1980 slasher Friday The 13th? It's a question that's proven the undoing of many a pub quiz team over the last 45 years, but the answer, as we expect anyone reading this will know, is not Jason Voorhees: it is, of course, his deranged mother Pamela Voorhees (originally played by Betsy Palmer). And, courtesy of Deadline, we now know who'll be playing Jason's vengeful ma in Peacock and A24's upcoming, long-gestating franchise prequel series Crystal Lake — Dead To Me and Scooby-Doo star Linda Cardellini. Jinkies!

In Cunningham's original 70s set movie, we learn that Mrs. Voorhees has been turning the counsellors at Camp Crystal Lake into claret-pouring cadavers to avenge the death of her son Jason, who drowned in the lake as a young boy back in the late '50s. It's only in the subsequent *checks notes* nine sequels that...

Friday the 13th's upcoming prequel series, which is appropriately called Crystal Lake, has been in the works for years now. Peacock originally ordered the project back in 2022 when Bryan Fuller was still attached as its creator, but Brad Caleb Kane took hold of the baton in August 2024 and replaced Fuller as the creator, showrunner, and writer. Today, casting the role of the younger version of the hockey-masked murderer’s mother is the first major piece of news to break in quite some time, and it’s now official that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s own Linda Cardellini will portray the killer part of Pamela Voorhees.

Cardellini goes from playing the wife (Laura Barton) of Hawkeye, a.k.a. Clint Barton, in the MCU to portraying the peculiar parent of Camp Blood’s serial-killing mama’s boy, Jason Voorhees. Currently, there aren’t any plot details to reveal about the project,...

The following contains spoilers for Wake Up, in theaters April 4, 2025.

Wake Up is the latest brainchild of the Canadian horror directing team Roadkill Superstars -- comprised of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, the same minds behind Summer of '84and We Are Zombies. Both of those films became cult hits thanks to their creative takes on 80s horror tropes and zombie movies. With its interesting premise, fascinating motifs and a disturbing yet compelling villain, Wake Up has all the potential to be a similar hit, but ends up sleepwalking through its good ideas.

Six teenage animal rights activists don masks, break into a local Ikea knockoff, and vandalize the store, filming their antics to bring attention to the destruction of the rainforest. Their protest quickly goes south when a horrible accident incurs the wrath of night guard Kevin. Kevin is mentally unstable and has a strong obsession with hunting,...

A24 has been pursuing a prequel series at Peacock set in the world of “Friday The 13th,” as “Crystal Lake” was poised to take place before a resurrected/full-grown Jason picked up where his mother left off and will explore the origins of the events surrounding his death as a young boy while attending summer camp.

Peacock has now confirmed to us that actress Linda Cardellini has indeed landed the part of Pamela Voorhees after she was linked to the horror series back in February.

Continue reading ‘Crystal Lake’: A24’s ‘Friday The 13th’ Prequel Series Officially Casts Linda Cardellini As Original Killer, Pamela Voorhees at The Playlist.

The Friday the 13th horror franchise's future as a film series is uncertain. However, Peacock and A24 have officially ordered a prequel series.

The series has been in the works for a few years, as Peacock ordered the prequel, titled Crystal Lake, in 2022. Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller was originally attached as writer and showrunner, but left the project in May 2024, noting that A24 "decided to go a different way with the material." Now the Friday the 13th prequel series has just received an exciting update as Linda Cardellini has officially joined Crystal Lake as the leading lady, Pamela Voorhees, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.

This isn't the first time the No Good Deed actress was tied to the project, so the casting news doesn't come as a shock. The actress was previously rumored to be in talks for the project in February, after rumors that Charlize Theron was also interested in the role of Pamela,...

On Halloween of 2022, it was announced that original Friday the 13th screenwriter Victor Miller – fresh off winning the U.S. copyright to the 1980 film after a lawsuit that stretched on for years – was teaming up with his lawyer Marc Toberoff, franchise rights holder Rob Barsamian, production company A24, the Peacock streaming service, and showrunner Bryan Fuller (whose credits include Hannibal and Pushing Daisies) to develop a new Friday the 13th streaming series called Crystal Lake. Things were moving ahead at a good pace, filming was expected to begin this July, but then the project hit a speed bump at the end of April with the firing of Fuller and his frequent collaborator Jim Danger Gray. Things got back on track in late August with the hiring of a new showrunner – and that person is Brad Caleb Kane, who also serves as co-showrunner and executive producer of It: Welcome to Derry,...

After early reports that Peacock’s Friday the 13th prequel series “Crystal Lake” from A24 may have found its Mrs. Voorhees last month, it’s now official: Linda Cardellini has officially signed on to star, Deadline reports today.

The series’ version of Pamela Voorhees is “believed to be a mother who had given up a singing career to raise a special needs child and takes a dark turn when she loses her son.”

Betsy Palmer played Mrs. Voorhees in the original film, revealed to be the killer behind the camp counselor slayings in retaliation for the drowning of her son, Jason.

Brad Caleb Kane (“Welcome to Derry”) is the showrunner for “Crystal Lake.”

In addition to Kane, exec producers on the series include A24; Victor Miller, who wrote the screenplay for the franchise’s original 1980 film; Miller’s copyright attorney, Marc Toberoff; Robert M. Barsamian and Robert P. Barsamian. The...

Big news for horror lovers—we’ve got a familiar face joining the ‘Friday the 13th’ world. According to Variety, Linda Cardellini, known for her standout roles across TV and film, is taking on the part of Pamela Voorhees in Peacock’s upcoming series ‘Crystal Lake.’ This prequel dives into the story before Jason Voorhees became the machete-swinging killer we all recognize, and I’m already excited to see how it unfolds.

Pamela Voorhees isn’t just a side character here. If you’ve seen the original 1980 ‘Friday the 13th’ movie, you know she’s the one behind the bloody rampage at Camp Crystal Lake. Driven by grief over her son Jason’s drowning, she takes out her anger on the counselors she blames.

That film, made on a tiny budget of $550,000, raked in close to $60 million at the box office, kicking off a franchise that’s given us eleven more movies,...

Linda Cardellini is set for the lead role in the “Friday the 13th” prequel series at Peacock, Variety has learned.

Cardellini will star as Pamela Voorhees in the expanded prequel series, which is titled “Crystal Lake.” The show was originally picked up straight to series at Peacock in 2022.

Fans of the “Friday the 13th” franchise will recall that Pamela Voorhees was the mother of Jason Voorhees, the hockey mask-wearing slasher featured throughout most of the films in the horror franchise. But in the original film, Jason is a child who drowns at Camp Crystal Lake. His death leads his mother, Pamela, to seek revenge against the counselors she blamed for her son’s death.

Cardellini was recently cast in a lead role in the upcoming HBO series “Dtf St. Louis” alongside David Harbour and Jason Bateman. She is a three-time Emmy nominee — one for “Mad Men” and two for “Dead to Me.

Linda Cardellini has closed a deal to star as Pamela Voorhees in Peacock’s Friday the 13th expanded prequel series Crystal Lake from A24.

Brad Caleb Kane serves as creator, writer, showrunner and executive producer of the series, whose premise is being kept under wraps.

Cardellini’s Pamela is believed to be a mother who had given up a singing career to raise a special needs child and takes a dark turn when she loses her son.

In the Friday the 13th movies, Pamela is the mother of Jason Voorhees and a main antagonist. She was portrayed by Betsy Palmer in the original film. The role has subsequently been played by Marilyn Poucher, Paula Shaw and Nana Visitor in various sequels, crossover and reboot movies.

Crystal Lake is executive produced by A24, Kane, Marc Toberoff, Victor Miller, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian and Stuart Manashil.

Fun fact: Stuart Gordon‘s Re-Animator turns 40 this year. Hold on to your heads because there’s a whole lotta celebrating going on, including a first-ever 4K release from Ignite Films due out April 4th. Well, as they’re wont to do, Bloody Disgusting kicked things off early with a rather-packed reunion panel at last month’s Creep I.E. Con in Ontario, California.

Hosted by Scare You to Sleep creator Shelby Novak and Halloweenies executive producer Michael Roffman, the hour-long panel featured Barbara Crampton, Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Brian Yuzna, and Richard Band. Together, they shared stories from the set, how certain elements came to fruition, and why it remains a cult classic.

Stream the episode below or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween,...

There might be a whole new meaning to Glen Powell's Twisters character Tyler Owens's catchphrase, "If you feel it, chase it," as the actor is reportedly interested in leading The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise in a new reboot. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the franchise nobody saw coming; starting out as a low-budget horror film from director Tobe Hopper that didn't even get an official Hollywood premiere until 2024. One film launched one of the most beloved horror series ever with an icon in the form of the villain Leatherface. The 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre was followed by three sequels: a reboot, a prequel to that reboot, a retcon sequel to the original film, a prequel to the original film, and a legacy sequel. Now, a new film version appears to be in the works.

As per a report by Deadline, Verve, the company that has held the rights to...

Disney's new live-action Snow White seemed doomed from the start, with a bevy of boos heard around the world when the trailer was released. If you're one of the people who dislike the new iteration of Snow White, you may get a sick kick out of seeing Grimm's fairy tale get particularly grim in a new horror twist on the story, coming to theaters in April. Entertainment Squad and their genre label, The Horror Collective, has acquired North American digital distribution rights to The Death of Snow White, a horror thriller starring Sanae Loutsis, Chelsea Edmundson, Tristan Nokes, Meredith Binder, Colin Miller, and Dillon Moore, from Real Fiction and Stl Productions.

This is far from Disney's Snow White, folks. The Death of Snow White doesn't have CGI dwarfs, but rather seven actors who are little people, portraying particularly vicious dwarfs. Check out the synopsis below:

Hunted by her evil stepmother,...

'Final Destination' director James Wong believes the horror series is successful because it is "so visceral and surprising" for audiences.The 43-year-old filmmaker helmed the first 'Final Destination' movie in 2000 and the third flick in 2006, and has now shared his beliefs that the franchise has remained popular because viewers react so strongly to its gory content.Speaking with Bloody Disgusting, Wong recalled: "I went into the theater during the first run, because I love watching a movie with an audience. We suddenly saw a bunch of ushers from the theater walk in in the middle of the movie and just stand by the side. "And I realised it was right before the bus hit. They just wanted to see the audience react."I think they did a whole advertising campaign where they had cameras on an actual audience, and popcorn’s flying and all that stuff.

The slasher genre can sometimes find itself in a long-running rut. After all, there are many ways to tell these stories, but few feel genuinely innovative. Clown in a Cornfield comes from director Eli Craig, the director of horror comedies Little Evil and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. While other directors might try to push the story in other directions, Craig maximizes everything about the screenplay. The humor lands to perfection, the meta moments are brilliant sendups on the genre, and the kills are gnarly. As a perfect crowd pleaser, Clown in a Cornfield is a masterful showcase from one of horror’s most comedic figures.

RelatedRanking The Friday the 13th Franchise – 45 Years of the Violent Voorhees Family Clown ina Cornfield — The Plot

Moving to the small town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, Quinn (Katie Douglas) already feels at odds. Her father (Aaron Abrams) took the job to escape the big...

Movies are a love language. When you stop to think about it, it’s a grand gesture for hundreds of people to put years of effort, time, and sacrifice into making something for you. On a tangential level, to crib from Roger Ebert’s wise words, movies are an “empathy machine.” We’re allowed to feel some sense of, if not love, then at least compassionate understanding. I’d argue this ability to feel empathy is not limited by genre or subgenre. This is not to say that every movie invites empathy, but rather that it can be found regardless of the aspects that make up the genre.

And yes, that even includes what Ebert called “Dead Teenager Movies,” more commonly known as the slasher film. As recent entries in the subgenre have proven, there’s plenty of compassion to be squeezed from the slasher genre as well. You may...

A great villain can make or break a film and they have been a staple of storytelling since the dawn of cinema. There have been hundreds of incredible, iconic villains audiences have loved to hate. Some movies are even so rich as to have more than one of these incredible foes.

Villains can be used to gain a different perspective, or sometimes simply be agents of chaos to shake up the tale. No matter what, villains add so much flavor to a film, and more than one can be even more fun.

Freddy Krueger Clashes With Jason Voorhees Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

In one of the greatest crossover films of all time, horror fans get to see the ultimate battle in action as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th films takes on Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Although both are horror titans and both come from...

We know, you know that we're telling the truth when we say "Psych" was one of the greatest procedural shows ever made. The USA mystery series followed the case work of private investigators Shawn Spencer and Burton "Gus" Guster.

Each week, the two man-children -- often in half-reluctant collaboration with a dysfunctional Santa Barbara Police Department -- would use their particular set of skills to bring criminals to justice, in stories that delightfully dumbed-down the overly self-serious crime procedural subgenre to make it work as wacky, irreverent, and subversive comedy.

In anticipation of a potential fourth sequel film from Peacock, we've delved back into the case files to find our favorite mysteries. No deceiving, no bending -- here are the 15 best episodes of Psych, ranked.

Read more: The 15 Best '80s Comedies Ranked

American Duos

After a banner first season, "Psych" kicked off its second outing with "American Duos," a...

Horror is a rich genre that has almost limitless freedom when it comes to the scary stories that it shares with its audience. Horror is subjective territory, but the genre’s growing versatility means that there’s usually a movie out there that’s guaranteed to frighten everyone. Grueling fights for survival can fuel suspenseful horror movies that embrace humanity’s vulnerability. The plausibility of such scenarios, which often require nothing more supernatural than a bit of bad luck, can be truly terrifying in the hands of a skilled director.

Sprawling apocalypses or grandiose monster attacks can sometimes lack the personal touch and character development that’s present in more intimate survival stories. The horror genre has grown increasingly creative when it comes to these struggles to survive and some of these tense tales hit harder than others. The best of them combine deeply compelling characters with an all-too-believable premise...

Michelle Randolph and Jimmy Tatro have reportedly signed up for 'Scream 7'.The two stars are the latest names to be attached to the upcoming seventh film the iconic horror franchise, which will see the returns of the likes of Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette.According to Deadline, the pair have joined the cast, although their role are not yet known.Randolph recently rose to fame in Paramount+ series 'Landman' in a breakout performance as Ainsley Norris, the daughter of Billy Bob Thornton's character Tommy Norris.She also appears in 'Yellowstone' spin-off '1923', while 'Scream 7' will be her first major film since 'Landman' first aired.Tatro has appeared in the likes of 'Home Economics', 'The Real Bros of Simi Valley' and 'Theatre Camp'.He will next appear with Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in Amazon Studios comedy 'You're Cordially Invited'.

With Tricks and Treats, the Halloweenies answer your questions.

In this installment — their first in nearly a year, mind you — co-hosts Justin Gerber, Michael Roffman, and Rachel Reeves share their favorite horror movies per decade, which new monster whould be added to the Universal Monster crew, Oscar what-ifs for horror, thoughts on Scream 7 and who they’d like to resurrect, and more.

Stream the episode below or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, The Evil Dead, Child’s Play/Chucky, and Alien!

This year? Universal Monsters!

You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries, one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals, and even topical spinoffs like last year...

A brutal killer is stalking the streets of New York City; a man dressed as a police officer. He lures victims in with a false sense of security, traps them with the authority an officer of the law commands, and he murders them, whether they’re guilty or innocent. It took a couple of genre icons to get this idea into production and more icons to deal with the threat on the screen. This is the story of Maniac Cop, and we’re going to find out what happened to this horror movie.

It all began with the 1980 slasher Maniac. The mainstream feature directorial debut of William Lustig, the film caught a lot of attention when it was released, especially for the shocking moments of violence, featuring Tom Savini gore effects. Lustig followed that up with the 1982 action thriller Vigilante, which gained a cult following, but wasn’t a financial success at first.

Kevin Bacon has had himself a damn fine career that spans well over four decades at this point. Dating back to his earliest days with roles in the seminal comedy "Animal House" and the all-time slasher classic "Friday the 13th," he's had a career that most actors can only dream of. But it was in the '80s when Bacon truly broke out as the lead of "Footloose," which saw him dancing his ass off in a town that wasn't fond of dancing.

The movie was a giant hit in its day and helped make Bacon's career. All these years later, he's still asked to do the dance from the film from time to time. While he's generally gracious, don't expect him to do the dance at a wedding. Speaking during a career retrospective panel to promote his new Amazon Prime Video series "The Bondsman" at this year's SXSW in Austin,...

It's hard to find a studio that isn't dying to get their own hit crossover film nowadays, especially when compared to the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its numerous successes. However, it may surprise audiences to know that there have been many proposed crossover films between characters of all different films and genres, and many that were never realized.

Although the world has gotten to see massive crossover films like Freddy vs. Jason and The Avengers, there are many other movies that fans probably would've loved to see as well.

Ash Almost Starred in the Greatest Horror Crossover Evil Dead & A Nightmare on Elm Street & Friday the 13th

After the success of the major horror crossover Freddy vs. Jason in 2003, plans for a bigger sequel were quickly put in motion. Audiences had already seen two of horror's most legendary characters duke it out on the big screen, so...

David Arquette is reportedly returning for 'Scream 7'.The 53-year-old actor played police officer Dewey Riley in the first five films in the classic horror franchise, but his character was brutally killed off in the 2022 movie.However, according to Deadline, Dewey is set to make a return for the upcoming seventh instalment.It's not yet known how writers will bring the character back into the fold, but both Scott Foley (Roman Bridger) and Matthew Lillard (Stu Macher) are also reviving their own deceased characters in the film.Matthew previously revealed there was a version of 'Scream 3' which would have revealed he had survived in the original film, but plans for him to return were changed at the last minute.He told Vulture in 2022: “I was supposed do' Scream 3'. I got paid for '3'. Not really well, but I ended up getting paid...

Kevin Bacon is no stranger to horror, following roles in Friday the 13th, Tremors, Stir of Echoes and the television series The Following, to name a few. It's a genre that has served him well and that could be why he's returning to it with the new Prime Video limited series The Bondsman. The first trailer for the series has been released, and it finds Bacon playing a bounty hunter who has awakened from the dead to find his job has an added supernatural element.

Created by Grainger David, The Bondsman stars Bacon as Hub Halloran, a bounty hunter who was murdered and ends up getting a new shot at life with a demonic twist. His new job is to recapture escaped demons from Hell for the Devil after Lucifer resurrects him. Should Halloran fail in his new mission, he will be "terminated," as Jolene Purdy's Midge tells him...

When it comes to slashers, two of the biggest icons of the sub-genre have been Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street and Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th. These franchises dominated the 80s with sequels and merchandise. By the time the 21st century rolled around, Freddy and Jason were household horror names. This came to a killer point in the epic scream-worthy crossover Freddy vs Jason. Now, over 20 years later, Gutter Garbs is honoring the film with a new blood-soaked apparel collection.

In the majority of iconic horror movies, the film delivers a memorable antagonist who imposes a formidable presence on screen for audiences. Given how most horror villains traditionally frighten viewers with terrifying examples of murderous acts or unnerving personalities, these characters reveal a staggering amount of power that takes hold of fans, as well as becoming more fleshed-out within a larger franchise.

No matter the stakes in the plot or how many characters get in the way of these villains’ plans, each one possesses the raw might to deliver some unforgettable frights. As a result, these powerful antagonists stand out from their cinematic peers as true juggernauts of the horror genre.

Jason Voorhees Embodies a Frighteningly Determined Killer The Friday the 13th Franchise Creates Brutal Violence for Fans

Positioning himself as one of the premier horror villains in American cinema, Jason Voorhees has had an illustrious career slashing away his...

John Lithgow (Conclave) and Geoffrey Rush (Shine) are currently doing the press rounds for their psychological horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen, which will be getting a theatrical release, courtesy of IFC Films, on March 7th – and during their Jake’s Takes interview, they were asked for their thoughts on the horror films that were coming out when they were getting their careers started in the 1970s and ’80s. This allowed us to get some nice horror references from Lithgow and Rush, with my favorite moment being when Rush admits that the original Friday the 13th, released in 1980, gave him a panic attack when he saw it in the theatre!

Rush said, “Friday the 13th gave me an attack in the theatre. I had a serious panic attack watching that film. But I was more drawn towards Alien. Alien, when it came out, just came out of nowhere, and you went,...

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday was a bonkers sequel that took the simple masked slasher movie franchise to new heights (or new depths?). The early 90s film that attempted to end the franchise was hated by critics and very divisive with fans. However, now you can get the full story of what the creative people were thinking as director Adam Marcus recalls being a bright-eyed, fresh-faced film student who was given the keys to the kingdom and didn’t exactly know what to do with the newly purchased property from New Line Cinema. The trailer for Hearts of Darkness: The Making of The Final Friday is now here.

Marcus has spoken directly with fans as he announced that the documentary is “almost 2 hours long.” The Blu-ray edition will feature “another 2 hours of goodness that we could not fit in a theatrical feature film! Oh yeah! We’ve got...

Quick LinksMark Wahlberg's Role and the Plot of 'The Substitute'Why Mark Wahlberg Avoided TV for the Movies

Mark Wahlberg is one of the few people who have successfully made the career jump from rapping to acting. The Hollywood A-lister has come a long way from his time as part of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Today, he's appeared in dozens of movies across a 30+ year acting career. He recently headlined the action-thriller flick Flight Risk. However, in that three-decade span, Wahlberg only had one role in a scripted television program. Believe it or not, it was his very first role.

Wahlberg's first credited appearance came with 1993's television film The Substitute. He played Ryan Westerberg, a student who encounters a substitute teacher with a dark side. While obscure today, the role was the launching pad for Wahlberg's eventual leading-man career status. But why has he never made a return to TV?...

Rose Lane Games’ story-driven choose-your-own-adventure title Helios Hotel: The Night Shift is out today on PC via Steam. And as mentioned last month, the game has launched with a time-limited 15% discount from now until February 21.

Helios Hotel: The Night Shift is a foreboding first-person, choose-your-own-adventure-style horror game inspired by paranormal and slasher films such as Halloween, The Shining, and Friday the 13th. Broken down into several easily digestible chapters (the first two are available now), the game puts players into the role of main protagonist, Rose, who has just moved to a small town, and quickly lands a job as the front desk receptionist for a fancy new hotel.

You’ll initially have to undertake the everyday tasks of the front desk clerk, such as booking in guests and ensuring they get everything they need. But soon, you start to uncover strange occurrences that increase in frequency each night.

Things...

I can't wait for Daily Dead readers to check out You'll Do Bad Things, a new horror comic book mini-series from Tiny Onion and Image Comics that will especially resonate with those that love giallo films. Written by Tyler Boss and illustrated by Adriano Turtulici (with lettering from Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou), the first issue is due out on March 26th, and I caught up with Tyler Boss to talk all about the making of this new mini-series. And to give you a tease of the horrors that await readers next month, we have a 6-page preview you can read right now!

What was the inspiration behind You'll Do Bad Things and how did this series come to land with Tiny Onion and Image Comics?

Tyler Boss: The genesis of You’ll Do Bad Things is funny to look back on. The origin story comes from when my longtime collaborator Matthew Rosenberg...

It was the “Footloose” of times, it was the “Ninja Rap” of times. We’re talking, of course, about the golden age of movie tie-in promotional singles of the ‘80s and ‘90s, a time when a well-placed theme could create the song and the movie of the summer, while a misused one probably involved Mc Hammer. In between were a lot of attempts that nobody remembers, because what was the point of making a movie if you couldn’t coerce a pop star to sell their soul for a lot of money?

5 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

You’re gonna wanna sit down for this: Tone Loc was in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Right? Who could possibly remember both of those things enough to remember that they were related? And it’s not like you put Tone Loc in your movie if you don’t need one of his songs, so...

Back in 2022, we got word that a new Friday the 13th TV series was in the works for Peacock. Now, we finally have our first bit of casting news, and it seems to have gone over very well with fans of the classic slasher franchise.

According to Jeff Sneider, Linda Cardellini is in early talks to take on the key role of Jason Voorhees' mother, Pamela, who was played by the late Betsy Palmer in the original.

Sneider believes that production is scheduled to commence this summer.

"Cardellini will soon begin filming HBO’s dark comedy series Dtf St. Louis with Jason Bateman and David Harbour, and I imagine that she’ll segue to Crystal Lake after that — and most likely this summer."

Brad Caleb Kane (Welcome to Derry) came on board as showrunner when Bryan Fuller parted ways with the project last year.

Horror hounds who have been waiting...

An interesting new rumor from insider Jeff Sneider suggests that actress Linda Cardellini might be in final talks to play Pamela Voorhees in the upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake.

According to the report from TheInSneider, Cardellini is close to closing a deal to play the mother of the iconic slasher villain Jason Voorhees. As Friday the 13th viewers know, it was Pamela who put the entire plot of the story into motion as she was the real antagonist of the original 1980 film. The character was originated by Betsy Palmer, who passed away in May 2015.

Cardellini is best known for playing Velma in the live-action Scooby-Doo films along with her voice-acting work and her role as Laura Barton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She also starred in the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Dead to Me and the more recent No Good Deed. Some of her other notable acting jobs include Freaks and Geeks,...

On Halloween of 2022, it was announced that original Friday the 13th screenwriter Victor Miller – fresh off winning the U.S. copyright to the 1980 film after a lawsuit that stretched on for years – was teaming up with his lawyer Marc Toberoff, franchise rights holder Rob Barsamian, production company A24, the Peacock streaming service, and showrunner Bryan Fuller (whose credits include Hannibal and Pushing Daisies) to develop a new Friday the 13th streaming series called Crystal Lake. Things were moving ahead at a good pace, filming was expected to begin this July, but then the project hit a speed bump at the end of April with the firing of Fuller and his frequent collaborator Jim Danger Gray. Things got back on track in late August with the hiring of a new showrunner – and that person is Brad Caleb Kane, who also serves as co-showrunner and executive producer of It: Welcome to Derry,...

The long-gestating Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake that's in the works from A24 seems to be back on track after the departure of showrunner Bryan Fuller last year caused it to undergo a complete overhaul. Brad Caleb Kane, who recently wrapped production on the It prequel series Welcome to Derry, is now running the show, and we have our first bit of casting news that Linda Cardellini is in talks to play Pamela Voorhees.

The news comes by way of industry insider Jeff Sneider (via Bloody Disgusting), so take it with a grain of salt right now until it's been confirmed by other sources, but if true, Cardellini would be the first official cast member for Crystal Lake. First announced in 2022, the show is described as an "expanded prequel" to the popular slasher franchise, and will focus on not only Pamela, but her son Jason as well.

Cardellini...

The Friday the 13th prequel series, Crystal Lake, will further explore the origins of Jason Voorhees. Casting is underway, and a new report has hinted at who may be playing Jason's mother, Pamela Voorhees, originally played by Betsy Palmer in the original Friday the 13th.

According to film industry insider Jeff Sneider of The InSneider, Linda Cardellini is in talks to take on the role of Pamela Voorhees. The report has not been officially addressed by anyone involved with the production and is not confirmed at this point. There were previous reports that Charlize Theron was wanted for the role, though it's unclear if she was ever given an offer or in talks for the part. No other casting information has been revealed, though original Friday the 13th star Adrienne King had hinted at a role back when Bryan Fuller was developing the project; after Fuller's exit, the series was retooled,...

Exclusive: Bill Kaulitz has swapped the concert stage for the big screen by landing his first film role.

The Tokio Hotel frontman, whose band is among Germany’s most successful music acts, has landed a role in Brute 1986, an indie pic inspired by 1980s slasher movies.

In the film, Leather Kobra, a Sunset Strip-style glam metal band films a music video in an abandoned Western town in the middle of nowhere. Ignoring ‘no trespassing’ signs, the rebellious group have no idea they are being watched by the Birdy family, who will meet them with a “level of brutality that is as vicious as it is creative,” according to producers.

Starring alongside Kaulitz are Gigi Gustin (Stiletto), Sarah French (Blind), Pancho Moler (3 From Hell), Lew Temple (The Devil’s Rejects), Heather Grace Hancock (Wicked City) and Dazelle Yvette (Garden of Eden).

Joe Knetter (Twilight of the Dead) is the writer, with...

In 2022, a ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel series called ‘Crystal Lake’ was announced. It was originally being developed by Bryan Fuller and Victor Miller, with A24 producing and Peacock set to air it.

In January 2023, Adrienne King, who played Alice Hardy in the 1980 film, joined the cast in a secret role. Writing for the series began later that month, with Kevin Williamson contributing an episode.

However, in May 2024, Fuller was removed from the project as A24 decided to take a new creative approach. In August 2024, Brad Caleb Kane was named the new showrunner. The show is scheduled to premiere on Halloween 2025.

Now Jeff Sneider, a popular industry insider has potential news regarding the project. According to the report, actress Linda Cardellini is in discussions to portray Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother.

This news is significant because Pamela Voorhees is a key figure in ‘Friday the 13th’ lore. In the original 1980 film,...

A24 and Peacock are headed to “Crystal Lake” for a small screen expansion of the Friday the 13th franchise, and the team may have found their Mrs. Voorhees for the prequel series.

According to a report from Jeff Sneider over on The Insneider tonight, Linda Cardellini (“No Good Deed”) is in talks to play Jason’s mother in the upcoming “Crystal Lake” series.

Brad Caleb Kane (“Welcome to Derry”) is the showrunner for “Crystal Lake.”

Peacock had given the project a straight-to-series order in 2022, with “Crystal Lake” being described as an “expanded prequel” to the original Friday the 13th franchise featuring both Jason Voorhees and his mother, Pamela Voorhees. The project’s original showrunner was Bryan Fuller (“Hannibal”), with Fuller’s departure leading to a retooling of the series.

“From the moment I watched Jason Voorhees squeeze a guy’s eyeball out of its socket (in glorious 3D!) at the tender age of 8 years old,...

Heart Eyes slays the Valentine's Day box office by skewering romantic comedies with bloody slasher fun. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding co-star as Seattle advertising executives targeted for slaughter after a chance meeting. Kismet proves to be a death sentence as they run for their lives while hilariously still flirting. Director Josh Ruben, known for Scare Me and his fantastic adaptation of Werewolves Within, started his career in sketch comedy and CollegeHumor shorts. Speaking to MovieWeb, Ruben credits these early experiences with establishing a good working relationship with his terrific Heart Eyes ensemble, which also includes Jordana Brewster and Devon Sawa:

"I try to speak to my actors as I would like to be spoken to. That all starts with a vibe. You have to be confident as the cruise captain, but you also need to set a precedent, or create the kind of playground where actors feel like they can take risks.