Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment has made an exciting acquisition that promises to bring a fresh twist to holiday storytelling.
Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment Acquires Oni Press’ ‘Yuletide’ for Feature Development
EXCLUSIVE: In advance of Comic-Con 2025, Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment (The Walking Dead) has acquired Yuletide, an upcoming Christmas-themed comic book from Oni Press (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), for feature development.
About ‘Yuletide’
Created by writer George Northy (EC’s Shiver SuspenStories) and artist Rachele Aragno (Mike Mignola’s Leonide the Vampire), the comic’s first issue is set to hit stands in October. It is described as a fast-paced family adventure in the tradition of The Goonies, Goosebumps, and Hocus Pocus, but with a horrifying holiday twist. The story features ancient Norse creatures unleashed upon an idyllic Northeastern town during the gift-giving season, and the only three teenagers capable of holding them at bay possess an ancient secret tied to the holiday’s origins.
The Setting
Welcome to the small town of Christmas, Pennsylvania – the merriest place on Earth… or so they’d like everyone to believe. When December rolls around, the townsfolk pull out all the stops for America’s biggest holiday display. However, teenagers Jake, Abe, and Wyn are more interested in the dark side of the holiday that their parents prefer to ignore — the ancient legends of mythic monsters and pagan chaos tied to the festival’s long-forgotten origins. Their hobby leads them to an abandoned wing of the local Christmas museum, where they discover an ancient relic that, when activated, unleashes a furious procession of yuletide horrors long banished from our realm, along with a darkness that has awaited centuries for its chance to overtake the world.
Creative Team
Northy, a writer/producer known for his work on Charmed for The CW and his recent comics debut as part of Oni’s best-selling EC Comics relaunch, will produce and script the adaptation. Hurd and Phillip Kobylanski will produce for Valhalla Entertainment, alongside David Steward II, Hunter Gorinson, and Jeremy Colfer for Oni Press.
Author’s Vision
In a statement to Deadline, Northy expressed, “I’ve long been fascinated by the dark, strange, obscure Yuletide monsters from various cultures, from Germany to Iceland to Wales. The way these demons have been buried and forgotten felt like the perfect metaphor for how we often bury our own darkness and personal demons throughout the holidays. If Buffy taught us ‘High School can be Hell,’ then Yuletide will show that the best way of dealing with our own holiday demons isn’t by pretending they aren’t there; it’s by facing them together.”
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Hurd’s Thoughts
Valhalla Entertainment’s Hurd remarked, “There is so much fantastic lore of the midwinter that runs the risk of being forgotten to time. With Yuletide, George and Rachele have given us the perfect opportunity to bring those larger-than-life characters back to life so they can continue to haunt us for generations to come.”
Publisher’s Excitement
Hunter Gorinson, President & Publisher at Oni Press, added, “Every once in a while, a team of creators emerges with a pitch so inspired, so compelling, and so dead-center on the bullseye that it immediately provokes one question: ‘Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?’ So it was with George and Rachele’s vision for Yuletide – a story that comes joyously filled with heart, humor, and adventure like so many gifts tightly packed into a Christmas stocking. This is a holiday story you’ll know by heart in just a few years’ time, and we couldn’t ask for better partners in bringing it to the page and screen.”
Valhalla’s Recent Projects
An iconic producer known for her work on franchises like The Walking Dead and Terminator, along with classic films like Armageddon, Hurd’s Valhalla wrapped up its spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead in 2023. Other recent projects include Tales of the Walking Dead and Syfy’s Hunters.
Oni Press Legacy
Oni Press is an indie comics imprint that has inspired many influential adaptations, including director Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (based on creator Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series), director Sam Hargrave’s Extraction franchise for Netflix, and director David Leitch’s Atomic Blonde. Yuletide joins a development slate that also includes Hargrave’s Kill Them All, based on the graphic novel by cartoonist Kyle Starks, for Paramount Pictures.
