In the modern genre Renaissance horror fans have been basking in major slasher franchise returns likeHalloween,Scream,Texas Chainsaw Massacre, andCandyman. However, the one franchise that has been kept out of the blood-soaked fun has been Jason Voorhees andFriday the 13th. This was due to an ongoing legal battle between original series directorSean S. Cunninghamand writerVictor Miller. However, with that battle seemingly behind horror fans, it’s finally time for Jason to rightfully enter the terrifying limelight once again. This includes a new prequel seriesCrystal Lakefrom creatorBryan Fullerand A24. Now Fuller has teased that iconic horror make-up artistTom Savinimay be returning to the franchise with Crystal Lake.
Tom Savini’s Bloody Horror Legacy
Fuller took to his Twitter this week to post a picture with him and Savini. It’s a sight that will warm any horror fan’s heart with the caption reading “TALKING STABBY CALENDAR DAYS WITH O.G. @THETomSavini #FridayThe13th #CRYSTALLAKE”. While this doesn’t confirm if Savini would have a role to play in the new series or not, it’s enough to get the horrific speculation train moving. When it comes to the horror genre and make-up effects, there’s no bigger name than Savini. He’s the master of blood, guts, and hardcore gore. Throughout the 70s and 80s the make-up artist constantly revolutionized the meaning of horror. He had a major hand in some of the most iconic genre movies of all-time likeDawn of the Dead,Day of the Dead,Creepshow,The Burning, andThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. He’s even been in the director’s chair with the 1990Night of the Living Deadremake and a segment on the critically acclaimedCreepshowTV series. Savini constantly reminds us why practical effects will never be beat.
However, while his zombie and dismemberment work has become legendary among horror fans, what cemented the mastermind as a mainstay for the genre was his work on theFriday the 13thfranchise. Savini has been a part of this classic slasher series since the very beginning with 1980’sFriday the 13th. He’s responsible for some of the franchise’s most memorable kills likeKevin Bacon’s ill-fated arrow through the neck. Savini would return to the series with 1984’sFriday the 13th: The Final Chapter, but like we all know, that was far from the last time we saw Jason.
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What’sCrystal LakeAbout?
Like the waters of the famous campgrounds, there are still a lot of murky unknowns when it comes to theCrystal Lakeseries. We know it will serve as a prequel and may explore an earlier part ofPamela Voorhees’ life, but Fuller has expressed in the past that he has full access to every part of the slasher franchise. This of course means Jason which is something that was previously thought untouchable because of the lawsuit. There have been a lot of exciting news recently surrounding Crystal Lake like its2024 release windowand original franchise final girlAdrienne Kingteasing her potential involvementin the series. There hasn’t been aFriday the 13thinstallment since the 2009 remake. It’s been 14 long years and the series has ironically been stuck on its 13th entry in that killer time span. On top of that series, Cunningham is working on anewFriday the 13thfilmthat shares no connection to this prequel.
WhileFriday the 13thfans anxiously wait forCrystal Lake, you can view Fuller’s post teasing Savini’s return down below. With the potential return of Savini and King, this series is shaping up to be the dreamFridayproject slasher diehards have been waiting decades for.Crystal Lakewill stream on Peacock sometime in 2024.
