The monsters are checking back in. Sony Pictures Animation and Amazon MGM Studios have officially announced the fifth Hotel Transylvania film, titled The Haunting of Hotel Transylvania, and it is heading to theaters on October 8, 2027. A first-look image has also been released alongside the announcement, giving fans their first glimpse at what the new film will look like.
The announcement also marks the franchise’s return to theaters after Hotel Transylvania: Transformania skipped a theatrical release and premiered exclusively on Prime Video in 2022. The new installment will bring the Drac Pack back to the big screen for the first time since Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation was released in 2018.
The Haunting of Hotel Transylvania is a title clearly designed to complement its October release, placing the franchise back in theaters during the Halloween season that has long suited its monster-filled world. The first-look image also confirms that the visual style remains consistent with what audiences have come to expect from the series.
The film will be co-directed by Jennifer Kluska and Alan Hawkins. Kluska previously directed Transformania, the fourth film in the franchise, as well as the Monster Pets short, and also worked as a story artist on the second and third Hotel Transylvania films. Hawkins has been part of the franchise since its very beginning, serving as an animator, head of character animation, and animation supervisor across the series. Together, they bring decades of experience with the franchise into the new installment. Lawrence Jonas, whose credits include Tales of Arcadia and DreamWorks Dragons, is producing the film.
Legendary animator Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of the original Hotel Transylvania trilogy, is returning as executive producer. Tartakovsky confirmed earlier this year during a Golden Globes interview that work on the fifth film was about to begin. He also wrote the screenplay for Transformania. His involvement as executive producer, alongside longtime franchise producer Michelle Murdocca, ensures the series remains closely connected to the creative vision that made it one of Sony Pictures Animation’s signature franchises.
The Haunting of Hotel Transylvania is being co-produced by Sony Pictures Animation and Amazon MGM Studios, continuing the partnership that began when Amazon acquired exclusive streaming rights to Transformania during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. The distribution arrangement remains similar. Sony will handle the theatrical release in North America and select international markets, while Amazon MGM Studios will oversee distribution across key territories including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Hotel Transylvania franchise launched in 2012 from an original concept by Todd Durham. The story centers on a luxury resort for monsters, run by Dracula, voiced by Adam Sandler in the first three films, and his daughter Mavis, voiced by Selena Gomez. The chaos begins when a well-meaning human named Johnny, voiced by Andy Samberg, stumbles into the hotel and falls in love with Mavis.
The first three theatrical films, released in 2012, 2015, and 2018, were all directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and collectively grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide, making Hotel Transylvania one of Sony Pictures Animation’s biggest and most successful franchises. Transformania, the fourth installment, bypassed theaters entirely and premiered exclusively on Prime Video in 2022.
Kristine Belson and Damien de Froberville, Presidents of Sony Pictures Animation, described the franchise as a cornerstone of the studio’s storytelling identity, one that has consistently combined a distinctive visual style with heartfelt, character-driven comedy. They said the new film will honor that legacy while delivering the surprises audiences have come to expect and expressed excitement about partnering once again with Amazon MGM Studios to bring the Drac Pack back to theaters for families around the world.
The Haunting of Hotel Transylvania is scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 8, 2027, bringing one of animation’s most successful monster franchises back to the big screen after nearly a decade away from theatrical audiences.
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