Linda Cardellini ‘set to take lead role in upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series’

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 her performances in ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Dead to Me’.

Her television credits also include ‘Freaks and Geeks’, ‘ER’, and ’Bloodline’.

On the big screen, she is known for playing Velma in the ‘Scooby-Doo’ live-action films, as well as for her roles in ‘Brokeback Mountain’, ‘The Founder’, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which she portrays Laura Barton.

Brad Caleb Kane took over as creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer on ‘Crystal Lake’ in August 2024.

The series is being produced by A24, with Victor Miller, who wrote the original film, returning as an executive producer, according to Variety.

The publication said other executive producers include Marc Toberoff, Robert M. Barsamian and Stuart Manashil.

The original ‘Friday the 13th’ film grossed nearly $60million worldwide on a budget of just $550,000. Since then, the franchise has expanded to include eleven further films, including ‘Jason X’, ‘Freddy vs. Jason’, and the 2009 reboot.

Jason Voorhees became the series’ primary antagonist starting with the second film.