Crystal Lake Series Finds Its Jason, And More Casting News!
The New Jason
Callum Vinson, who appears in season three of the Chucky streaming series, has been cast as young Jason in Crystal Lake. I’m surprised it took this long for someone to be cast, but Vinson seems a fair choice, considering his genre experience.
Vinson is also currently in the crime drama series Long Bright River. I’ve found it difficult to verify his age, but he appears about ten years old. This fits with the age range Jason was supposed to have been when he drowned.
There are still many questions about how this character will be portrayed. Will this version of Jason speak? Will he be disfigured (this would obviously require Vinson to wear makeup for each episode)? And will the adult Jason have a role? Many aspects of this series are still a mystery.
More Returning Characters
This isn’t the only casting news that’s dropped! Nick Cordileone has been cast as Ralph (presumably this show’s version of “Crazy Ralph” from the first two movies). Having Ralph back could be lots of fun. We already know that Officer Dorf is in the series, and I can imagine some entertaining arguments and banter between these two.
I’d like to see Crazy Ralph’s backstory. How did he become Crystal Lake’s doomsayer? It’s never really explained in the movies.
In yet more casting news, Phoenix Parnevik and Danielle Kotch have been cast as Barry and Claudette, respectively. These names may not ring bells for most people – I didn’t pick up on it at first either – but Barry and Claudette are the names of the amorous young camp counselors who are killed in a barn loft at the beginning of the original Friday the 13th.
They have the honor of being the first in a long, looong line of deaths in the franchise. Although it’s never stated explicitly, Barry and Claudette are implied to be the counselors who were supposed to be watching Jason when he drowned.
Their deaths occur in 1958, but I don’t think we’ll see a time jump like that in the show. It’s still not clear whether Crystal Lake is going to be a period piece, or if it will be a contemporary origin story similar to the Bates Motel series.
The inclusion of Barry and Claudette has intriguing implications. Will the show start with Pamela killing these two, and then the story flashes back to show us what led her to that point? Or maybe their deaths occur in the season finale? It will be interesting if Pamela is friends with them at the beginning.
With the new characters involved, Crystal Lake is looking like it will partially take place during the same timeline as the original movie. Maybe season 1 will end with Pamela killing Barry and Claudette and then season 2 picks it up from there, and perhaps transitions to Jason as the killer, with him having visions of Pamela?
There’s still no word on a trailer release date, but stay tuned!
