HBO Max Picks Up ‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel Series ‘Crystal Lake’ Across Europe
Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired the European, Middle Eastern and African streaming rights to A24’s Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake for HBO Max, excluding the UK and Ireland. The deal expands the horror franchise’s international reach ahead of its regional launch later this year.
Peacock will premiere the series in the US in October. Starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, it is set a year after young Jason’s drowning and follows outsiders investigating the family’s past; Brad Caleb Kane now serves as creator, writer and showrunner after Bryan Fuller left in 2024.
In short
- HBO Max will stream Crystal Lake across much of EMEA.
- The UK and Ireland are excluded from the deal.
- Peacock launches the prequel series in the US in October.
Explained simply
Friday the 13th is a horror film franchise that began in 1980 and became one of cinema's most iconic slasher series. The original films centre on a cursed summer camp and spawned numerous sequels over several decades.
Crystal Lake is a new television prequel that explores the franchise's origins rather than continuing its main storyline. It is produced by A24, an independent studio known for distinctive horror productions.
The series stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, a central figure in the franchise's mythology, and is set around a formative tragedy in the story. Its acquisition by streaming services across different regions reflects a broader strategy to expand the franchise beyond cinema into television, which can reach wider international audiences.
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