Crystal Lake, the Friday the 13th prequel series produced by A24, will be released on 15 October 2026 on HBO Max in France: its eight episodes, each around an hour long, will all be available on the same day. The series centres on Pamela Voorhees, Jason's mother, played by Linda Cardellini. It was presented on Thursday 8 October at New York Comic Con by its creator, Brad Caleb Kane.

Crystal Lake, a prequel to the first Friday the 13th

The series is set in the 1970s, before the events of the first Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham and released in 1980. In that film, the killer is not Jason but his mother, Pamela Voorhees. Crystal Lake follows her almost a year after her son Jason, a child in poor health, drowned in the town's lake: a single mother, Pamela cannot get over her grief. The arrival of two strangers who have come to investigate her past sets off a series of disturbing events, and the residents of Crystal Lake begin to wonder who Pam Voorhees really is.

Brad Caleb Kane, who previously worked on IT: Welcome to Derry, is the creator and showrunner of the series; he replaced Bryan Fuller, who was originally attached. Alongside Linda Cardellini, the cast includes Callum Vinson, who plays the young Jason, William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins and Gwendolyn Sundstrom. In the United States, the series is released on the same day on Peacock.

What Brad Caleb Kane announced at New York Comic Con

At the New York Comic Con panel, Brad Caleb Kane was joined by Linda Cardellini and the other lead actors. He promised many kills, which he said were in many ways more brutal than in some of the films in the series.

The series recreates scenes from the films shot for shot. The hockey mask does not appear: the series is set before the films, so its timeline does not allow it to be shown. For filming, the crew went back to the woods of Blairstown, New Jersey, where the 1980 film was shot.

Linda Cardellini, in a red blouse, as Pamela Voorhees in the Crystal Lake trailer — Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees in the Crystal Lake trailer released by HBO Max France. © 2026 HBO Max

Two characters from the 1980 film return in the series: Dorf, played by Cameron Scoggins, and Ralph Neeley, played by Nick Cordileone. Jason's past is also explored in more depth. The series shows him as a child with his face uncovered; for the role, Callum Vinson wears a 13-pound head prosthetic. For his appearance, Brad Caleb Kane explains that he wanted a more realistic and modern approach than in the first film, and that he prefers to describe Jason as an outcast rather than a monster.

A young man takes a photo with a camera in a wooden room, in the Crystal Lake trailer — A scene from the Crystal Lake trailer. © 2026 HBO Max

At Funko, however, Jason still wears the hockey mask that is absent from the series.

Funko POP 2026: Jason at Camp Crystal Lake

One POP Nooks figure is named after the setting of the series: Jason at Camp Crystal Lake. Wearing his hockey mask and a green jacket, Jason holds a red-stained machete in front of a wooden door topped with a "Camp Crystal Lake" sign, next to a lantern, on a wall splattered with red. The figure is fixed to its scene, which comes in a 4.5 x 6.3 x 3.5 in (11.4 x 16 x 8.9 cm) acrylic case that can be stacked with other POP Nooks.

More traditional, #2032 in the POP Movies range shows Jason standing, machete in hand. It is 3.9 in (9.9 cm) tall.

The July 2026 Jason Voorhees figures are covered in the Friday the 13th POP pre-orders article. All the Friday the 13th POP figures released or announced in 2026 are listed below, with offers from partner shops.