Charlize Theron could have been part of the Friday the 13th universe.
According to a recent report for The Wrap, A24 was eying Theron to play Mrs. Voorhees, who was originally played by Betsy Palmer in 1980’s Friday the 13th, in the studio’s controversial Crystal Lake series.
Whether the show is still moving forward or not remains up in the air at this time as showrunners Bryan Fuller and Jim Danger Gray were reportedly taken off the project three months before production was supposed to begin.
The Wrap’s article states that the series’ first season would have been “set in the immediate aftermath of the drowning of a young Jason Voorhees.”
“In the grand ambition of Crystal Lake, each season would be a ‘deconstruction’ of the first four Paramount movies,” the article also notes. “The series would incorporate lore from several sequels but remix that material in a way similar to Fuller’s Hannibal, which interpolated the Thomas Harris novels for three seasons.”
What happened with Crystal Lake?
According to sources speaking with The Wrap, Crystal Lake was “ plagued by inexperienced production executives making questionable decisions, problems with the show’s writing staff, and conflicts between showrunners and executives.”
Each season of Crystal Lake was intended to have eight episodes with a $9.6 million budget per episode. “According to sources, A24 wanted to cut that in half,” the article notes.
The Wrap also reports that Crystal Lake “was roughly over budget by about $4-$6 million for the entire season.”
Will Friday the 13th fans ever get to see A24’s Crystal Lake?
Whether or not Friday the 13th fans will ever get to see Crystal Lake is unclear at this time. The Wrap talked to one source who said A24 is still committed to making the product, though it’s possible they could start from scratch with a new creative team.
Others said that Nick Antosca, who worked with Fuller on Hannibal, is potentially being eyed to take over the series.
“Agents have labeled the Crystal Lake project as ‘radioactive,’ according to another source with knowledge, even though it is one of the most important shows to Peacock, several other sources said,” the article notes.
Source: The Wrap
