Bryan Fuller exits “Friday the 13th” prequel series “Crystal Lake” over creative differences
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"A24 has elected to go a different way with the material," the "Hannibal" creator posted on social media.
Another day, another Bryan Fuller departure from a TV show he was developing. The writer/producer announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday that he experienced creative differences with A24 over the Friday the 13th prequel series, Crystal Lake. Entertainment Weekly can confirm that Fuller is no longer the writer and showrunner of the series, which is still moving ahead at Peacock with A24 and will name a different showrunner.
"Adapting classic horror is something I have some experience with," Fuller tweeted on Thursday. "These shows require a vision that elevates and transforms, as well as delivers what audiences have come to expect, which is an ambitious and risky endeavor. It requires people to take the leap with me."
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Fuller named Hannibal as an example of his "ambitious" approach. His 2012-2015 NBC series starred Mads Mikkelsen as cannibal psychologist Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as Will Graham, the FBI investigator with whom he developed a homoerotic, cat-and-mouse relationship. Though it only ran for three seasons, Hannibal reached a devoted fanbase and rumors of a possible reunion or follow-up remain persistent. Crystal Lake will take a different direction, though.
Related: Hannibal: Showrunner Bryan Fuller reveals the one murder they couldn't do
Related: Everything Hannibal wore on Hannibal
"For reasons beyond our control, A24 has elected to go a different way with the material," Fuller wrote on Twitter. "We hope the final product will be something Friday the 13th fans all over the world will enjoy."
When it works, as with HANNIBAL, the results can be powerful for the storytellers and the audience. I couldn’t be more proud of the work my co-showrunner Jim Danger Gray and I were able to accomplish with our brilliant writing staff despite the challenges we faced.
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) May 8, 2024
For reasons beyond our control, A24 has elected to go a different way with the material. We hope the final product will be something Friday the 13th fans all over the world will enjoy.
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) May 8, 2024
Representatives for Peacock did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
One of the most prolific Hollywood horror franchises of recent decades, Friday the 13th is well-known for its iconic villain Jason Voorhees. But as anyone who's watched the first Scream knows, the original 1980 Friday the 13th film did not feature the hockey-masked killer at all. Instead, it was set at Camp Crystal Lake, where a different murderer is preying on teenagers as revenge. The original announcement for Crystal Lake seemed like the show would only be based on the original film.
Related: All of the Friday the 13th movies, ranked
Since Hannibal, Fuller has had a complicated track record with TV. Alongside Michael Green, he was co-showrunner of Starz's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods, but they both left after season 1. He co-created Star Trek: Discovery but departed before the series premiere. Now he has left Crystal Lake as well, though as of 2022 he was also working on Dust Bunny, his feature film debut.
Last year, Fuller was sued for sexual harassment by Sam Wineman, a producer and director he had worked with on the Shudder documentary series Queer for Fear. Fuller denies the accusations, which his lawyer Bryan Freedman called "absolute garbage."
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