Hannah covers horror, sci-fi, and games at Collider, where she writes news and features, reviews new releases, and interviews the people who make them. She’s helping build out Collider’s gaming coverage, with Pokémon as one of her specialties. If she isn’t writing about a monster, she’s probably watching one on a tape from her VHS collection.
Taking a job at Camp Crystal Lake has never been a particularly good career move. Horror fans have spent decades watching counselors discover that the picturesque summer destination comes with a considerably higher body count than the brochure probably advertised. Still, with Halloween approaching, there’s something tempting about heading into the woods and finding out what all the screaming is about.
Peacock’s Crystal Lake is preparing to take audiences back to the place that gave the Friday the 13th franchise its name. The upcoming prequel stars Linda Cardellini as Pam Voorhees, bringing Jason’s mother rightfully to the center of a story that revisits the origins of one of horror’s most recognizable families. Before viewers settle in for that trip, however, some fans will have the chance to report for duty themselves.
Collider can exclusively reveal that Peacock is bringing Crystal Lake to New York Comic Con with an interactive experience welcoming attendees to the legendary Camp Crystal Lake. Running throughout the convention, the activation will transport guests back to the 1970s for a camp counselor orientation at the seemingly idyllic summer retreat. Of course, whether they’ll survive that orientation is another question entirely.
Four franchises, four completely different ways of getting underneath
your skin. This is the one built out of your particular fear, why it works so well on you, and what
it would leave behind.
Your nightmare does not wait outside the door. It waits for you
to close your eyes, which you are going to have to do eventually, because nobody has ever
won that particular argument.
Your nightmare is not really the doll. It is the face of the
person you tell, and the way they decide, very kindly, that you have imagined all of it.
Your nightmare has your number, knows your name, and has almost
certainly been inside your house before. The worst part is that you already know them.
Your nightmare is not really about you. It is about the people
asleep down the hall, and the feeling that whatever is here is not interested in leaving.
Prospective counselors can find the Crystal Lake experience at Booth 1359 inside the Javits Center. The activation will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 8; Friday, October 9; and Saturday, October 10. On the convention’s final day, Sunday, October 11, fans can visit between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., giving attendees across all four days a chance to squeeze orientation into their schedules. Peacock promises in-world thrills, Camp Crystal Lake photo opportunities, and branded giveaways as part of the experience. That means fans can commemorate their visit to the notoriously dangerous camp and potentially take something home besides a newfound distrust of summer employment.
The timing also makes the experience a natural first stop for anyone counting down to the series. New York Comic Con wraps up on October 11, leaving only a few days between the final camp orientations and Peacock’s premiere. Fans attending the convention can get their Camp Crystal Lake photos sorted before finding out what the streaming return has waiting for them.
Crystal Lake premieres Thursday, October 15, 2026 on Peacock.
![‘Friday the 13th’ Fans Can Officially Visit Camp Crystal Lake Before Peacock’s Prequel Arrives [Exclusive]](https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/crystal-lake-linda-cardellini.jpg)
