Dan Trachtenberg has directed three Predator movies in a row, taking us back to 1719 with Prey, showing us Predators in multiple different time periods in the animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers, and making a Predator the protagonist in Predator: Badlands, which was set on an alien world sometime in the distant future. 20th Century Studios has been very keen on the work he has been doing within the franchise, so we fully expected him to continue working on Predator projects after Badlands… especially since it’s been confirmed that he has had multiple meetings with Arnold Schwarzenegger to discuss Arnie’s return to the franchise.
But Trachtenberg also recently signed a three-year first-look deal with Paramount Pictures, where he will develop, direct, and produce feature projects with his producing partner, Ben Rosenblatt. Now, we know what his first Paramount project is going to be: an animated feature adaptation of the horror comedy indie comic Freddy the 13th! The movie is not expected to keep that title, which is a reference to both the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises.
What is Freddy the 13th about?
Released in late 2025 and created by Yehudi Mercado, the Freddy the 13th indie comic follows the trials and tribulations of the hapless Freddy Vanwinkle, the thirteenth son of a thirteenth-born son who fails at everything in contrast to his brilliant siblings. One night, while looking after his nephew and niece Logan and Lola, he accidentally kills the legendary slasher Nighty Night and automatically inherits the mantle of the monster. With rival killers emerging out of the shadows, Freddy has thirteen nights to break the curse.
Deadline notes that the film adaptation is expected to be PG-rated so it can deliver “scares and laughs to the whole family.” Here’s the logline: A family vacation turns into a nightmare when fun Uncle Freddy accidentally kills the Boogeyman and takes on his powers.
When JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols asked what his Paramount deal means for his Predator plans, Trachtenberg answered, “We’re in this phase now where I’m trying to figure out sort of multiple exciting (ideas) – as I was when Prey came out and trying to think of, ‘What will we do next?’ and there were multiple exciting things and we ended up making them both at the same time. Similarly, I’m there now with post-Predator: Badlands of there’s a lot of exciting things to do next. Whilst I’ll be making things at Paramount, I’ll also be cooking up what happens with future Predators.“
Are you interested in seeing a family-friendly animated horror comedy from Dan Trachtenberg? Share your thoughts on this Freddy the 13th project by leaving a comment below.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed