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From Meddling Kids to Murdering Teens: Ex-Velma Linda Cardellini is Peacock's Pamela Voorhees in Friday the 13th Prequel

The A24-produced Crystal Lake is expected to find Cardellini's Pamela during the time between her son's drowning and before the beginning of the first movie

Image credit: Warner Bros., Gun Media

Like franchise face Jason Voorhees, the Friday the 13th prequel Crystal Lake seems to not want to die. After the loss of would-be-showrunner Bryan Fuller, fans were nervous that the collaboration between modern horror titan A24 and streamer Peacock had reached its Final Friday, but a series of uplifting events ripped the show from the murky depths of devleopment hell. Now, a new bit of news has the show ki-ki-ma-ing its way even closer to the campground of our streaming homes, though it's not exactly about our favorite hockey-masked hunk.

No, it's about Pamela Voorhees, the original killer from the Friday the 13th franchise. According to reports, actor Linda Cardellini has accepted the role in the series' prequel.

The story comes from Deadline, who broke the news March 24, 2025. Along with the casting, Deadline reports a rumor of what time period of the Friday the 13th saga the show is set to revolve around. "Cardellini’s Pamela," the announcement reads, "is believed to be a mother who had given up a singing career to raise a special needs child and takes a dark turn when she loses her son."

If this belief is correct (Deadline was careful to note that, officially, plot details are under wraps), that would put the series sometime in the eleven years preceding the original Friday the 13th, likely kicking off before Jason famously drowns but not heading too far into territory already tread by the movies. Remember, Pamela Voorhees is dead by the end of the first movie, so it's doubtful the show will go that far.

Plot questions aside, the thing on the top of horror fans' minds after the announcement has got to be the other horror icon that Cardellini brought to life. That is, Velma Dinkley, from the 2002 James Gunn-written live action Scooby Doo. Cardellini's turn as Pamela Voorhees may just be the exact opposite of the character she brought to life in live-action - Pamela would have hated the teens of Mystery Incorporated and, well, she sure likes masked creeps a lot more than the Scooby Gang.

Still, it's a pretty great reminder of Cardellini's acting range, especially if she's put in a scary scenario while sporting a sweater. We have to imagine the Freddy Krueger people are having a meeting today.


In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." We couldn't agree more, which is why we've cobbled together a couple pieces to send a chill up your spine. Join Popverse as we explore:

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.

 

Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. As Popverse's Staff Writer, he criss-crosses the pop culture landscape bringing you the news and opinions about the big things (and the next big things). In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.

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