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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.

UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Paramount will be giving Trachtenberg’s film a theatrical release on October 13th, 2028. A Friday the 13th right in the midst of Halloween season!

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.

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A couple of years ago, Curry Barker wrote, directed, and starred in the found footage horror movie Milk & Serial, which is said to have had a budget of $800. Baker then released the movie through YouTube, where the free-to-watch video has racked up more than 3 million views. Even though he already made Milk & Serial, it’s his new horror movie, Obsession, that has been billed as his feature directorial debut – and it has turned out to be a massive box office success. Surpassing $248 million at the domestic box office and another $158 million internationally, Obsession has become the most successful festival acquisition ever. The film received a digital release a couple of weeks ago, and now Obsession is reportedly scheduled to start streaming on Peacock as of July 17th.

What is Obsession about?

Starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, Obsession is a story about a hopeless romantic who makes a wish that his long-time crush falls in love with him. A sinister enchantment ensues. Here’s the official synopsis: After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter are also in the cast.

James Harris of Teashop Productions produced the film with Haley Nicole Johnson of Under the Shell, Christian Mercuri of Capstone Pictures, and Roman Viaris. Blum’s fellow executive producers are Leonora Darby (Teashop), Mark Lane (Teashop), David Haring (Capstone), and Ruzanna Kegeyan (Capstone Pictures).

Barker has already made another feature, he’s in post-production on a project called Anything but Ghosts, and has lined up a couple more projects: he’ll be making an original horror film for Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and Universal, and he has been hired to write and direct a reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It looks like he’ll be making the Blumhouse movie before he gets around to working with Leatherface.

Are you glad to hear that Obsession is set to receive a Peacock streaming release next week? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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The Friday the 13th TV series Crystal Lake, which is coming our way from A24 and the Peacock streaming service, is scheduled to start streaming on Thursday, October 15th. The series stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, mother of the legendary horror icon Jason Voorhees. It was just announced that Cardellini has earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie for her performance in the dark dramedy crime series DTF St. Louis, and when Deadline caught up with the actress to discuss the nomination, they also took the opportunity to ask about Crystal Lake. She described the upcoming show as a “mixtape,” a blend of horror and drama, with some laughs in there as well.

What is Crystal Lake?

On Halloween of 2022, it was announced that original Friday the 13th screenwriter Victor Miller – fresh off winning the U.S. copyright to the 1980 film after a lawsuit that stretched on for years – was teaming up with his lawyer Marc Toberoff, franchise rights holder Rob Barsamian, A24, Peacock, and showrunner Bryan Fuller (whose credits include Hannibal and Pushing Daisies) to develop Crystal Lake.

Things were moving ahead at a good pace, filming was expected to begin in July 2024, but then the project hit a speed bump at the end of April 2024 with the firing of Fuller and his frequent collaborator Jim Danger Gray. Things got back on track in late August 2024 with the hiring of a new showrunner – and that person is Brad Caleb Kane, who also serves as co-showrunner and executive producer of It: Welcome to Derry, the It prequel series on HBO.

When Fuller was involved with Crystal Lake, he was planning for there to be two musical options to choose from when fans watched the show on Peacock: a classic score by Friday the 13th franchise composer Harry Manfredini and a modern score. It’s not clear if that’s still the plan, but Kane recently took to social media to reveal that he and Manfredini are “cookin’ up some fresh nightmare fuel for ya.”

In addition to showrunner, Kane will be credited as creator, writer, and executive producer of Crystal Lake. It remains to be seen if he’s using anything from the original Fuller scripts and outlines, or if he scrapped those and started over completely. When he was hired, he provided the following statement: “From the moment I watched Jason Voorhees squeeze a guy’s eyeball out of its socket (in glorious 3D!) at the tender age of 8 years old, I knew my creative path was someday destined to converge with The Man Behind The Mask. Nothing defined my childhood more than growing up in the golden age of the slasher flick, and nothing’s defined the genre more than Friday The 13th. I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to contribute a chapter to this iconic franchise, particularly with such fearless partners as Peacock and A24.“ Beyond It: Welcome to Derry, Kane’s TV credits include Fringe, Black Sails, Lodge 49, Moonhaven, Warrior, and Tokyo Vice.

According to Deadline, Crystal Lake‘s version of Pamela is believed to be a mother who had given up a singing career to raise a special needs child and takes a dark turn when she loses her son. The series is being executive produced by A24, Kane, Marc Toberoff, Victor Miller, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian, Tyson Bidner, and Stuart Manashil. As Deadline notes, “The project will mark one of A24’s first major IP-driven efforts amid a recent move expand in a more commercial direction.”

Who’s in the cast?

The cast of the show includes includes Linda Cardellini (No Good Deed) as Jason Voorhees’ vengeful mother Pamela Voorhees, Nick Cordileone (Warrior) as Ralph – better known as Crazy Ralph, William Catlett (Black Lightning) as a character named Levon Brooks, who may be Crystal Lake’s chief of police; Devin Kessler (Godfather of Harlem) as Briana Brooks, Cameron Scoggins (Shades of Blue) as Dorf, and Gwendolyn Sundstrom (I’m Beginning to See the Light) as Grace. 

Friday the 13th fans will recognize the name Dorf, as he was the motorcycle cop who made a visit to Camp Crystal Lake in the original film. Kane confirmed that Dorf is “one of many” legacy characters from the original film who will be showing up in the series. 

Also confirmed to be in the cast are Nancy Nagrant (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Kay Christy, Victoria Russell (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) as Celeste, Natalie Shaw (Daredevil: Born Again) as Pinky, Austin Colby (Pretty Thing) as Shep, Joy Suprano (Best Foot Forward) as Rita, Danielle Kotch (Director’s Cut) as Claudette, and Phoenix Parnevik (Bel-Air) as Barry. There are more legacy characters in the mix here, as Barry and Claudette were the names of the first two victims in the original Friday the 13th. 

Callum Vinson (Chucky season 3) plays young Jason Voorhees, with Zachary Branch (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) reportedly appearing in one episode as an adult Jason Voorhees.

Directors on the series include Michael Lennox (Derry Girls), who helms episodes 1 through 3; Celine Held and Logan George (Caddo Lake), directing episodes 4 through 6, and Quyen Tran (Sirens), directing episodes 7 and 8.

Production on Crystal Lake started in New Jersey last June and wrapped in October. It was was filming under the not-so-secret codename Mama’s Boy. Summer camp scenes were filmed in West Milford, New Jersey and lake scenes were filmed in Ringwood, New Jersey, with Blairstown, New Jersey standing in as downtown Crystal Lake, just like it did in the original movie. Some filming also took place in South Orange Village.

What did Linda Cardellini tell Deadline about Crystal Lake?

When Deadline asked Cardellini about playing Pamela Voorhees in Crystal Lake, she said, “She’s important to the [Friday the 13th franchise], but sort of unexplored. So I thought that would be really, really fun, to do something I’d never done.” She added that showrunner Brad Caleb Kane “has made sort of this mixtape of all the things that he would love to see happen for her. It goes all over the place for her character and it’s really fun.“

This isn’t the first time Cardellini has referred to the show as a “mixtape.” Just last month, she told Deadline that the show is “a mix of things. There are slasher elements and there are dramatic elements. There are funny elements. I think it’s an interesting mixtape of all the things that Brad [Caleb Kane] as a fan wanted to bring to a series, as opposed to a two-hour movie.“

As for Pamela Voorhees, “I had never played anyone like her and the idea that she is there at the beginning – in the very first movie, she is the original murderer – and the idea that we don’t know much about her, and in knowing something about her you will know more about Jason, I thought was interesting.“

The eight episodes of Crystal Lake will be streaming on Peacock in the United States. Sky and its streaming service Now will be bringing the series to the UK and Ireland. As mentioned, the show will premiere on October 15th, just in time for spooky season viewings. The fun doesn’t stop on Halloween, because November brings a Friday the 13th, so viewers can circle back and watch the show on the fitting calendar date as well.

Are you looking forward to seeing Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees in Crystal Lake? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Linda Cardellini Says Crystal Lake Is More Than a Slasher: “A Mixtape” of Horror and Drama appeared first on JoBlo.

Robert De Niro quickly followed his work on the Netflix series Zero Day by signing on to star in another Netflix project, the serial killer crime thriller The Whisper Man, coming our way from AGBO and the streaming service. One year ago, it was announced that he was being joined in the cast by The White Lotus star Michelle Monaghan and Severance star Adam Scott. Now, Netflix has unveiled the first poster from the film – which is due out on August 28th. Check it out:

While we haven’t gotten a trailer yet, you can see some images from the star-packed film below. Notably, The Whisper Man reteams Robert De Niro with one of his Jackie Brown co-stars, Michael Keaton, who plays a mysterious role that Netflix hasn’t yet unveiled.

What is The Whisper Man about?

Based on Alex North’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Whisper Man is directed by James Ashcroft from a screenplay by Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer. The story centers on a widower crime writer who, after his 8-year-old son is abducted, looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as “The Whisper Man.”

Also in the cast:

• Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass, Nickel Boys)
• Owen Teague (It, You Hurt My Feelings)
• Acston Luca Porto (the upcoming Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado)
• Will Brill (The Eyes of My Mother, Not Fade Away)

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Michael Disco are producing the film for AGBO. The company’s Kassee Whiting serves as an executive producer alongside Marcus Viscidi.

When the project was first announced, Russo-Otstot, AGBO’s chief creative officer, provided the following statement: “AGBO is excited to be embarking on our 6th film with our incredible partners at Netflix. The Whisper Man is a gripping thriller but at its core is a poignant and complex story of father and sons. We are grateful to have one of the finest actors of his generation, Robert De Niro, anchoring that story and with the remarkable James Ashcroft directing.” Other collaborations between Netflix and AGBO include The Gray Man, The Electric State, the Extraction films, and the Extraction TV series spin-off called Mercenary.

Ashcroft has previously directed the 2021 horror thriller Coming Home in the Dark and the John Lithgow / Geoffrey Rush horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen.

When will The Whisper Man be on Netflix?

The Whisper Man is scheduled to be released on August 28th.

Are you interested in The Whisper Man? Take a look at the images, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Netflix unveils the first poster for Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, and Robert De Niro’s serial killer thriller The Whisper Man appeared first on JoBlo.

In 2014, filmmaker Casper Kelly was behind a viral sensation that blew a lot of minds: the 11 minute short Too Many Cooks. He has gone on to direct Adult Swim Yule Log, Adult Swim Yule Log 2: Branchin’ Out, the Cheddar Goblin commercial seen in Mandy, a segment of the horror anthology V/H/S/Halloween, and multiple episodes of Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell. His latest is Buddy, which puts a horror comedy twist on the concept of Barney & Friends. Roadside Attractions and Saban Entertainment will be releasing the film on September 4th – and today, they have unveiled a teaser trailer, which you can check out in the embed above!

What is Buddy about?

Here’s the official synopsis:

Remember BUDDY, the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic childrens’ television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the colorful world of “It’s Buddy!”, a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.

The film stars Emmy Award winner Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Delaney Quinn (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Topher Grace (That ’70s Show), Emmy Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), two-time Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water), and Emmy and Grammy Award winner Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens).

Kelly wrote the screenplay with Jamie King, who previously worked on the Disney+ movie World’s Best.

J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, and Tracy Rosenblum of BoulderLight Pictures, the company behind such films as Barbarian, Companion, Friendship, and Weapons, are producing Buddy with Tyler Davidson and Drew Sykes of Low Spark Films, the production company behind Emily the Criminal and Take Shelter. Low Spark Films is co-financing. Sipur Studios & Substance are also behind the project.

Executive producers include Kevin Flanigan, Dexter Braff, Roberto Linck, Nathan McAuley, Emilio Schenker, Gideon Tadmor, Adam J. Wilde, Geoff Yaw, Ryan J. Kelly, Casper Kelly, and Jamie King.

What did we think of Buddy?

JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to see Buddy several months ago and gave the film a 6/10 review. He wrote, “The first half hour of Buddy is mostly brilliant. It unfolds as a series of “Buddy” episodes that get progressively darker, leading to a few of the kids, led by the brave Freddy (Delaney Quinn), planning an escape to “Diamond City,” a place outside of the increasingly psychopathic Buddy’s reign. … It’s too bad that Buddy goes off the rails in a big way after its terrific first act, as it takes a detour into the “real world” [where] the movie loses a lot of steam. Luckily, things pick up in the final act, which is more like the first part of the movie, returning us to Buddy’s world, but it’s never quite as good as it was in that pretty dazzling first act.“

Are you interested in Buddy? Take a look at the teaser trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Buddy teaser trailer: a twisted horror comedy from the maker of Too Many Cooks appeared first on JoBlo.

Joanna Pettet, the actress best known for playing Bond girl Mata Bond in 1967’s Casino Royale and for starring in cult horror films like The Evil and Welcome to Arrow Beach, has passed away at the age of 83.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pettet died Tuesday at Temecula Valley Hospital in California. Her friend and former manager, Pam DuBois, confirmed the news. Tragically, her passing came exactly 31 years after the death of her son, Damien Cord, who died of a heroin overdose in 1995 at the age of 26.

Although Pettet first gained attention on Broadway before breaking into Hollywood, she built a career that stretched across film and television throughout the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. One of her most recognizable roles came in the Bond spoof Casino Royale, where she played Mata Bond, the daughter of David Niven’s version of James Bond and the legendary spy Mata Hari. While the film is the oddball out in Bond history, it has become a cult favorite over the decades thanks to its enormous cast and surreal comedy.

She also starred in Sidney Lumet’s acclaimed drama The Group, Peter Yates’ crime film Robbery, Blue opposite Terence Stamp, and Anatole Litvak’s The Night of the Generals. Genre fans may remember Pettet most fondly from her horror work. She appeared in Laurence Harvey’s Welcome to Arrow Beach in 1974 before starring in Gus Trikonis’ supernatural thriller The Evil (1978), a memorable haunted house film. She also appeared in the 1982 thriller Double Exposure, which has also become something of a cult favorite in recent years.

On television, Pettet racked up dozens of credits, including Dr. Kildare, Night Gallery, The Fall Guy, Knight Rider, and a recurring role as detective Janet Baines on Knots Landing.

Beyond her acting career, Pettet was connected to one of Hollywood’s most infamous tragedies. On August 8, 1969, she spent part of the day visiting actress Sharon Tate at her home, leaving only hours before Tate and four others were murdered by followers of Charles Manson. That unsettling coincidence has been examined in multiple books about the murders, including Tom O’Neill’s Chaos, and was dramatized in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, where Pettet was played by Rumer Willis during the film’s recreation of Tate’s final day.

Pettet stepped away from acting after her appearance in the 1990 television film Terror in Paradise, but her work continues to live on through everything from classic television and cult horror favorites to one of the most unusual entries in James Bond history. We send out our heartfelt condolences to Pettet’s family, friends, and fans.

What are your favorite Joanna Pettet performances? Let us know in the comments.

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If you thought you’d seen every possible release of Night of the Living Dead, think again. Death Cult Press has announced Night of the Living Tapes: The Official Home Video History of Night of the Living Dead (Expanded Edition), an officially licensed hardcover celebrating the jaw-dropping physical media legacy of George A. Romero‘s horror classic. Written by collector and historian Geoff Turner, the expanded edition documents nearly 650 home video releases of the landmark zombie film from around the world.

Officially licensed by Image Ten, Inc., the company behind the original Night of the Living Dead, the new edition expands significantly on the original 2021 release of Night of the Living Tapes.

A definitive guide to Night of the Living Dead on home video

Released in 1968, Night of the Living Dead introduced audiences to the concept of flesh-eating ghouls and forever changed horror cinema. Thanks to a copyright error that sent the film directly into public domain, it became one of the most widely distributed movies in home video history. Over the decades, the film has appeared on virtually every imaginable format, including:

• VHS
• Betamax
• LaserDisc
• DVD
• Blu-ray
• 4K UHD
• Numerous collectible physical media editions

Author Geoff Turner spent years cataloging video box art, promotional materials, distributor information, and rare releases gathered from collectors worldwide. The result is what Death Cult Press calls the definitive archive of the film’s home video history.

What’s new in the Expanded Edition?

The original edition launched in 2021 following a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $19,000 from 148 backers. At 188 pages, it cataloged over 250 VHS and Betamax variants. The new expanded edition greatly increases the scope of the project, featuring:

• New cover artwork by Rick Catizone, whose credits include Night of the Living Dead, Creepshow, and Evil Dead II
• 305 full-color hardcover pages
• Ten new chapters exploring the complete distribution history of the film
• Eleven new appendices covering Night of the Living Dead and physical media collecting
• Updated checklists documenting nearly 650 different releases across 26 countries

For collectors of horror memorabilia and physical media, this appears to be one of the most comprehensive reference books ever assembled for a single horror film.

Pre-orders begin July 10

Pre-orders open July 10, 2026, at 12:00 PM and run through July 24. Available exclusively at deathcultpress.com, the $50 preorder package includes:

• Hardcover edition
• Signed bookplate
• VHS bookmark
• VHS sticker
• Exclusive trading card
• Death Cult Press button

The first 75 orders will also receive a free “Cemetery Entrance” enamel pin while supplies last. Shipping is currently expected to begin on September 1, 2026.

For longtime fans of Night of the Living Dead, physical media collectors, and horror historians alike, the expanded edition of Night of the Living Tapes looks to be the most exhaustive chronicle yet of one of the most endlessly reissued films ever made.

Night of the Living Dead is one of my all-time favorites and it’s the movie I have watched more times than any other, as it’s my default choice to put on when I want to kick back and relax (I find the sound design and black and white visuals of this terrifying movie to be really comforting), so I look forward to reading all about its home video history. Are you interested in the extended edition of Night of the Living Tapes? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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