Peacock has recently announced that a prequel series to Friday the 13th is already underway, and Dead by Daylight players should be particularly excited. While the newest Dead by Daylight killer, "The Knight," is already slotted to release on November 22, players and content creators alike are already speculating about the game's next few killers. Because of this, many players will be turning their attention back to Jason Voorhees.
It has been a few years since the Friday the 13th franchise has seen new content, both in terms of film and gaming. This makes the unveiling of the new TV series even more important, as a successful show featuring characters that already have a big fan base can lead to much more content being released. For Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th: The Game fans alike, the possibilities for new material are endless.
Peacock's Crystal Lake Series
For the moment, Peacock has kept most information regarding the upcoming series a secret. However, the TV series' name, in combination with a few statements made by the show's writer Bryan Fuller, have revealed quite a few details regardless. Fuller's statement that he "discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when [he] was 10 years old" shows that the series will almost certainly be centered around Jason Voorhees and his origin story, rather than his mother's or one of the well known survivors'. This revelation can also mean big news for the Dead by Daylight community.
Crystal Lake, the name of the series, undoubtedly means that the show will take place primarily in the town of Crystal Lake. However, it also reduces the likelihood that the show will focus on Jason's mother, Pamela Voorhees, as Crystal Lake is where Jason was reborn. If a map were to be released alongside Jason, it would almost certainly be Dead by Daylight's version of the well known town.
The making of this series came as a surprise to many, in part because not all the Friday the 13th films have been a success. Additionally, a show with the name Friday the 13th: The Series was already created in 1987. However, despite the name, the series was completely different from the films, as it featured neither Jason Voorhees nor any of the other characters in the franchise. The statement also revealed that Crystal Lake will be a drama series, meaning that die hard fans can rest easy knowing that their favorite franchise isn't in danger of being turned into something akin to Scary Movie.
Friday the 13th and Dead by Daylight
For players that have been hoping that Jason would be added to Dead by Daylight since its release, this can only be good news. If the show is successful, a resurgence in the Friday the 13th franchise is sure to follow, which experience shows will almost certainly increase the chances that Dead by Daylight will try to add Jason to its killer hall of fame. This happened when Halloween was released back in 2018, and while Michael Myers was already in the game it didn't take long for Dead by Daylight to release a new Michael Myers skin, in which he was sporting a hospital gown from the film.
Dead by Daylight has a tendency to release original and copyright killers in alternating order, which is also good news for Dead by Daylight players hoping for Jason to make an appearance. The game's most next killer is supposedly original to Dead by Daylight, and the killer released previously was Albert Wesker from the Resident Evil franchise. This means that if the developers stick to its pattern, the next killer will come from another well known franchise. Even if it is too soon for Jason to be included, as the show hasn't even been released yet, there is always hope that he will make his debut in the next killer cycle.
It is worth noting that a lawsuit over the rights to the franchise between the screenwriter of the original Friday the 13th film Victor Miller and producer/director Sean Cunningham has only recently come to an end. This could be the cause for Jason's delay in joining the Dead by Daylight roster, even when the Dead by Daylight developers want Jason Voorhees in the game. However, with Crystal Lake on the horizon and continued support from the fans, it is more likely than ever that Jason will finally be welcomed into the fog.
Dead by Daylight is available now on Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.