‘Freddy the 13th’ Animated Horror-Comedy From Dan Trachtenberg Sets 2028 Release
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Paramount Pictures has set a release date for its forthcoming animated family-horror-comedy from director Dan Trachtenberg, based on the comic Freddy the 13th. The studio announced that the as-yet-untitled Paramount Animation feature will arrive on 13 October 2028 — fittingly a Friday — adapting Yehudi Mercado's comic, with Mercado attached to co-direct.
The film follows a family holiday that goes awry when lovable Uncle Freddy accidentally kills the Boogeyman and inherits his powers, and was pitched at last month's Annecy International Film Festival as delivering "wholesome PG-rated scares and laughs to the whole family". Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and Ben Rosenblatt are producing. Trachtenberg, who recently signed a first-look deal with Paramount, has prior animation experience with Predator: Killer of Killers, and also directed the Predator films Prey and Predator: Badlands, alongside television work including Black Mirror and The Boys.
- Paramount's animated Freddy the 13th lands on Friday 13 October 2028.
- Dan Trachtenberg produces; comic creator Yehudi Mercado co-directs.
- Plot: Uncle Freddy kills the Boogeyman and gains his powers.
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Uncle Freddy, a family holiday, and an accident with the Boogeyman set off an inheritance of dark powers – meant to land as PG-rated scares mixed with comedy. The film comes from Paramount Animation and is based on a comic by Yehudi Mercado, who is also set to co-direct.
Director Dan Trachtenberg is the name driving interest in the project. He's known for the horror film 10 Cloverfield Lane and, more recently, the Predator franchise instalments Prey and Predator: Badlands, as well as television work on Black Mirror and The Boys, and he has a first-look deal with Paramount.
The project matters as part of a wider trend of studios blending horror with family-friendly comedy in animated form, aiming to appeal to both children and adults who grew up on horror staples. It also reflects Trachtenberg's growing presence across both live-action and animated genre filmmaking.
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