5 Exciting things about the Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie
Beloved horror franchise Five Nights at Freddy’s is finally coming to the big screens! The film adaptation started production on February 2, and since then tons of leaks teased promising things for future release. Get into the loop and find out what you need to know about the FNAF movie!
About FNAF
Five Nights at Freddy’s or FNAF for short started its humble beginnings as an indie game created by Scott Cawthon. The game point-and-click horror survival lets you play as a night guard of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, famous for its animatronic entertainment. The thing is the animatronics move on their own, move about the premises at night. You have to check security cameras and close doors to protect yourself against Bonnie, Chica, Freddy, and Foxy. With limited power, survive until 6 AM and as the name suggests, finish all five nights to beat the game.
The overnight success of FNAF drew attention to YouTube’s biggest creators like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and PewDiePie, who further popularized the game. Multiple channels covering the lore behind the jumpscares created a cabal of theorists dedicated to solving the game’s timeline.
Since then, the atmospheric and lore-heavy game spawned multiple sequels, each one contributing to a tale of loss, greed, regret, and vengeance. The franchise boasts 9 games in its arsenal, expanded by 12 books under “Freddy Fazbear Frights”.
As the game teems with this much content, it is only logical to bring the story to film where it could shine. Here’s what we know about the FNAF Movie so far.
FNAF is currently being produced by Blumhouse
FNAF’s rough development started in 2015 when Warner Bros. acquired the rights to produce the film. However, Scott Cawthon broke ties with Warner Bros. in 2017 after multiple setbacks and delays, hinting at a conflict in the film’s direction. Blumhouse revealed 2 months later that the animatronic horror game will be produced under their care. It wasn’t until this year that filming began, after years of scrapping scripts and director changes.
Blumhouse produced hit horror films like Insidious, Sinister, The Purge, and the critically acclaimed Get Out.
Matthew Lillard is William Afton
You might remember Matthew Lillard as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo, but in this film, he will act as William Afton, the man who started it all.
In the game, William Afton created the animatronics with Henry Emily to serve at Fredbear’s Family Diner. The diner’s success with kids became the hallmark of Afton’s career until the Bite of 83’. With his youngest son dying at the hands of his eldest, Afton swore that he will fix his son, no matter the cost. A string of murders involving 5 children happens at his wake, the dead bodies stuffed inside the animatronic suits. The unrest souls of the slain swore vengeance and seek justice, making the suits murderous and sentient.
Matthew Lilard announced his three-picture deal with Universal and Blumhouse on a podcast last January. Lilard’s only horror experiences were from Thirteen Ghost and Scream, but fans were hyped and looking forward to seeing him as the purple guy.
Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt
Josh Hutcherson joins the cast of FNAF as the prime security guard Mike Schmidt!
Hutcherson made his name as a child star in classic movies like Zathura and Bridge to Terabithia. Hutcherson also stared as Peeta Mellark of Hunger Games alongside Jennifer Lawrence. Geek Vibes Nation leak the character description for Hutcherson’s Mike Schmidt:
“Riddled with guilt over a tragedy in his past, and now struggling to take care of his younger sister on his own, Mike is low on options when he lands a new job to pay the bills; the night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Mike is vulnerable with a tough exterior. Though he means well, his obsession with digging for truth may have potentially disastrous consequences.”
Recently, a leak circulating around Twitter shows Hutcherson filming a scene for the film. The leak reveals him in his security uniform, beating something or someone in a fountain alleged to be inside Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.
Fight Scene in FNAF Movie #FNAF #FNAFMovie #FiveNightsatFreddys pic.twitter.com/Je5MmcIM5L
— FNAF Movie Updates (@FNAFMovieUpdate) February 27, 2023
Elizabeth Lail cast as “Vanessa”
Elizabeth Lail will be joining Lilard and Hutcherson as Vanessa.
Lail starred in the hit Netflix series “You” as Beck, and gave a stellar performance that earned her a nomination for Saturn Award’s Best Actress in Streaming Presentation.
“Vanessa” in the games first debuted in FNAF: Help Wanted, so many fans wondered how exactly the character will fit in the timeline. Geek Vibe Nation also leaked Vanessa’s character description:
“Vanessa is a police officer who shows up during one of Mike’s work shifts. While leading with a bright and sunny disposition, Vanessa has a keen understanding of the dark history and inner workings of the restaurant. Not wanting to reveal too much of what she may know, she works to help Mike survive the night”
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will create the animatronics.
Five Nights at Freddy’s earned international recognition because of its eerie and creepy animatronics. While the more recent iterations show a more glamorized appearance, the original suits were something straight from a nightmare. Fans worried over the fact that this wouldn’t be replicated properly in the movie by using CGI. Luckily, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop took on the job and the fans were seated!
If you know The Muppets, then you already know Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The shop created the bizarre monsters and creatures found in The Muppets, Alice in Wonderland (1999), and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)!
Jason Blum shared a tweet on August 2022 confirming the shop’s involvement in the film:
It’s great to be working with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Their experience and expertise with animatronics is absolutely killer! @blumhouse pic.twitter.com/T81BguWJ69
— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) August 9, 2022
Things are definitely rolling for the movie! As development goes on, expect more leaks and exciting news about Freddy’s debut in the cinemas. While a lot of things are still in the dark, there’s one thing we definitely know: It wouldn’t disappoint.
Want to read more articles like this? Click here!
