Paramount Pictures has officially announced that its untitled animated feature based on Yehudi Mercado’s comic Freddy the 13th will arrive in theaters on October 13, 2028. The release date falls on Friday the 13th, giving the family horror-comedy a fitting theatrical launch that matches the title of the source material. The project is being produced by Paramount Animation and will be directed by Dan Trachtenberg, with comic creator Yehudi Mercado serving as co-director.
The release date announcement marks the latest milestone for a project that was first unveiled during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival earlier this year. While Paramount has not yet announced the voice cast or additional production details, the film has already attracted attention because of its unusual blend of horror, comedy, and family adventure, as well as Trachtenberg’s involvement behind the camera.
Based on Mercado’s independent comic series, Freddy the 13th follows Uncle Freddy, whose family vacation takes an unexpected turn after he accidentally kills the Boogeyman. Instead of simply ending the supernatural threat, Freddy inherits the creature’s powers and is suddenly forced to navigate a world filled with monsters while protecting his family. Paramount has described the project as a family horror-comedy that combines spooky thrills with humor, aiming to deliver a PG-rated adventure suitable for younger audiences while embracing classic horror elements.
Unlike its title, Freddy the 13th has no connection to the Friday the 13th franchise or the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. Instead, it is an original story created by Mercado that mixes supernatural fantasy, comedy, and family-friendly horror into a standalone adventure.
The film also marks another major project for Dan Trachtenberg, who has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most prominent genre filmmakers in recent years. Trachtenberg received widespread acclaim for directing Prey, the successful revival of the Predator franchise, before continuing his work on the series with Predator: Killer of Killers and the upcoming Predator: Badlands. Freddy the 13th will mark his first theatrical animated feature, expanding his filmmaking credits beyond live-action.
Yehudi Mercado remains closely involved with the adaptation as both co-director and the creator of the original comic. His participation ensures that the film retains a direct creative connection to the source material, a relatively uncommon approach for major studio animated adaptations. Mercado is known for creating stories that blend humor, fantasy, and heartfelt family relationships, elements that have helped define Freddy the 13th since its original publication.
The film is one of the first major projects to emerge from Trachtenberg’s creative partnership with Paramount, following the first-look deal he signed with the studio earlier this year. While the project introduces an original comic property to the big screen, it also reflects Paramount Animation’s continued expansion into a wider variety of animated storytelling.
Freddy the 13th joins Paramount Animation’s upcoming theatrical slate alongside projects such as PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie and future entries in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The addition of a family-oriented horror comedy further broadens the studio’s lineup, which has increasingly explored different genres beyond traditional animated adventures. Paramount has confirmed only the release date and the creative team behind the project, with casting and additional production updates expected at a later stage. As development continues, Freddy the 13th is scheduled to make its theatrical debut on October 13, 2028.
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