Animated Family Scares
Paramount Dates Animated Family-Horror-Comedy 'Freddy the 13th' for October 13, 2028 Release
Key Points
The film centers on Freddy VanWinkle, the clumsy black sheep of a family of overachievers who runs a blog about Halloween and slasher films.
Mercado publicly celebrated joining the project on social media with an Instagram post reflecting excitement to make an animated horror-comedy for the whole family, including the line: "I’m incredibly excited to have found a team crazy enough to want to make an animated horror-comedy for the whole family... Let’s get spooky!"
Paramount’s 2028 slate, as reported in TheWrap, includes additional high-profile projects alongside Freddy the 13th — notably a Call of Duty adaptation directed by Peter Berg with Taylor Sheridan as co-writer, plus new takes on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic the Hedgehog, from Neal Moritz.
Trachtenberg brings notable animation experience to the project, including Predator: Killer of Killers (the first animated Predator title on Hulu) and Predator: Badlands, in addition to TV work on Black Mirror and The Boys.
Paramount Pictures has locked in a fitting release date for its animated horror-comedy based on Yehudi Mercado's indie comic: Friday, October 13, 2028. The studio is developing the film under Paramount Animation, with Dan Trachtenberg and Mercado co-directing, according to Deadline.
The story follows Freddy VanWinkle, the clumsy black sheep of a family of overachievers who runs a blog about Halloween and slasher films. When a family vacation goes wrong and Uncle Freddy accidentally kills the Boogeyman, he inherits the monster's dark powers. Paramount is pitching the film as wholesome, PG-rated scares and laughs for all ages.
Trachtenberg and Mercado Team Up to Direct
Dan Trachtenberg is best known for live-action work — including the Predator franchise and episodes of Black Mirror and The Boys. But he has been building animation credentials too. He recently produced Predator: Killer of Killers, the first animated Predator title, on Hulu, according to Dread Central.
Yehudi Mercado created the original Freddy the 13th comic in 2025. He is also co-directing the film adaptation. Mercado celebrated the news on Instagram, writing: "I'm incredibly excited to have found a team crazy enough to want to make an animated horror-comedy for the whole family... Let's get spooky!" The project was first announced publicly at the Annecy animation festival, according to Geek Culture.
Paramount Bets Big on a Spooky 2028 Slate
Freddy the 13th is one of several high-profile films Paramount has lined up for 2028. The studio's slate also includes a Call of Duty adaptation directed by Peter Berg, with Taylor Sheridan co-writing the script. Two more franchise titles — new takes on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic the Hedgehog — are also in the works from producer Neal Moritz, according to The Wrap.
Trachtenberg also signed a first-look directing and producing deal with Paramount, making the studio his primary home for future projects. Ben Rosenblatt is producing Freddy the 13th alongside Trachtenberg.
Who Is Freddy VanWinkle and Why He Matters
Freddy VanWinkle is not your typical hero. He is clumsy, obsessed with Halloween, and the odd one out in a family of high achievers. His horror blog is his passion. That changes fast when a botched family vacation turns him into the new Boogeyman, according to Archynetys.
The setup blends classic family-comedy energy with monster-movie humor. Paramount and the filmmakers are aiming for a PG rating, keeping the scares fun rather than frightening. Think Monsters, Inc. meets a slasher parody — built for kids and parents to watch together.
October 13, 2028 Is a Friday — And That's the Point
The release date is no accident. October 13, 2028 falls on a Friday — making it a real-life Friday the 13th. That gives Paramount a built-in marketing hook for a film loaded with Halloween and slasher film references. The date lands right in the middle of peak horror season, with Halloween just 18 days away.
No trailer or cast announcements have been made yet. But with more than three years until release, Yahoo News notes that further details on voice cast and production are still to come. The October 13 date stakes out prime real estate on the 2028 calendar for Paramount Animation.
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