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One of the biggest box office hits of 2023, and currently the highest global earner within the Blumhouse Productions library, Emma Tammi’s Five Nights at Freddy’s finally brought the beloved frights from Scott Cawthon’s video game series into live-action for the first time. While critics were pretty ruthless with their views, the massive fanbase undercut any such negativity by turning out in droves, with immediate calls for a sequel (or more). So will Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 be joining the ranks of other upcoming horror movies?
Early on in the rumor mill, the belief was that Universal and Blumhouse had sights on spinning FNAF into a trilogy of films, per franchise standards. But with the film’s theatrical and streaming release happening in the midst of the since-concluded SAG-AFTRA strike, and only a month after the WGA strike ended, it became unclear if those reported plans were in jeopardy, or whether audiences could anticipate Freddy Fazbear’s house of horrors as a yearly Halloween arrival. So let’s dig into where things currently stand for the sequel.
Is Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 Happening?
As of this writing, Universal and Blumhouse have remained shockingly quiet about what the future of Five Nights at Freddy’s will look like, and neither company has officially confirmed that a sequel is on the way. But in this case, the radio silence isn’t necessarily a bad omen. (Plus, there’s a promising new report, as discussed further down.)
There are huge expectations for at least one more film to be produced, based entirely on FNAF’s theatrical earnings, which are wildly boffo for a movie crafted on a $20 million budget. To skimp out on a sequel would be throwing away crane games full of money.
Universal is also behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which became the first movie in 2023 to bring in over $1 billion at the box office, yet similarly doesn’t have a sequel amidst the list of upcoming video game movies. So the studio’s lack of updates isn’t limited to Five Nights.
It’s highly possible that the delay in sequel confirmation is tied to the studio wanting a larger stake in the franchise, which would require larger deals and contracts being worked out. Not just with cast and crew — including the Jim Henson’s Creature Shop squad, whom Emma Tammi was delighted to work with — but maybe also with other companies more invested in the merchandising side of things. The fact that there weren’t a slew of movie tie-in toys on shelves for Christmas 2023 is as shocking as anything else.
When Would Five NIghts At Freddy’s 2 Be Expected To Release?
Considering the first film staked out the genre-friendly weekend before Halloween to bring in theater-goers and audiences with Peacock subscriptions, one would expect producers to have the same goal in mind for 2024. And according to a report from the site World of Reel, that’s precisely the case.
The rumor is that Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is being geared for a similar release window, with the weekend closest to Halloween 2024 being eyed. Considering the rather quick filming-to-release process that happened with the first film, this isn’t too wild a possibility.
When Is Filming Rumored To Start For FNAF 2?
The same report that pointed to the potential sequel’s Halloween 2024 release plan is also where the latest rumors about the production scope for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. According to World of Reel, the goal is for filming to kick off in the “spring of 2024.”
The bulk of Five Nights’ on-screen action and stunts were handled practically, without an abundance of CGI wizardry, which makes it easier to buy into the idea that the movie could film from May-June and still produce a final cut by the end of October. It won’t be easy, but then not much about this franchise can be considered “easy.”
Which Cast Members Are Expected To Return?
Technically, just about everyone who was an initial Five Nights at Freddy’s cast member could potentially return for any sequels, with the most obvious exception being Mary Stuart Masterson as Mike and Abby’s seemingly greedy aunt Jane. Though even she could obviously still reappear in one way or another in this dream-friendly universe.
At this point, the number of returning cast members likely hinges on whether Scott Cawthon & Co. decide to follow the same core group in the second film, or if they’ll choose to focus on the dark events surrounding another Fazbear Entertainment property. (I personally cannot wait to see the Mega Pizzaplex fully realized in live-action splendor.)
No matter where the story goes, however, it’s likely that Matthew Lillard’s murderous and just a li’l bit psychotic villain William Afton will be back in some capacity. Whether it’s via flashback to him as a living and breathing monster, or as a less corporeal fright following up on the character’s painful fate in the first film.
To that end, Matthew Lillard sounded as if he was ready and willing to jump back into the role when he spoke with CinemaBlend about sequel plans and where things are at in that regard. Here’s how he put it:
The good news is that we’re pulling off a long legacy of games here, and creator Scott [Cawthon) has a very clear sense of the stories he wants to tell. I think that, you know, a lot of movies are left to their own devices; they’re made from whole cloth. That story can go anywhere. But we have a bible here to pay attention to and follow. And so I think that it’s important to Scott that he sort of fills in a lot of the lore questions that live in this community, and keep giving the fans of the community what they want. Which is, you know, the hows and why and everything in between.
Without saying anything official, Lillard made it sound like the next movie could indeed serve as a prequel to help fill in some of the blanks where universe-expanding lore is concerned. And William Afton’s evil hands are all over that, so expect more from Lillard even if the sequel’s story doesn’t center on Josh Hutcherson’s Mike and Piper Rubio’s Libby. Prequels would also imply more from Elizabeth Lail’s Vanessa, possibly at a point where she was a more dependable minion to her father.
Who Could Direct Five Nights At Freddy’s 2?
The first film was directed and co-scripted by Emma Tammi, who’d previously helped the 2018 western horror The Wind and a pair of installments from Hulu’s holiday horror anthology Into the Dark, among other projects. By and large, even the film’s biggest critics had fewer complaints with the direction and cinematography as the story and characters, so it stands to reason that she would be invited back to helm the sequel as well. (Which isn’t to say it’s a lock, especially if another more seasoned director showed interest.)
When CinemaBlend spoke with Tammi ahead of Five Night at Freddy’s release both theoretically and on Peacock, she was hopeful for sequel chances, but said that wasn’t anyone’s specific goal while making the flagship film. In her words:
Yeah, I mean, we were really focused on this first one and just wanting to put all of our efforts and focus into this, so that it could stand on its own even if no sequels were ever made. Of course, knowing what a big world the franchise is, it was always the hope in the back of everyone’s mind that we might be able to keep making these films and success. But yeah, everything hangs on this first one, so fingers crossed.
Five Nights opened to $80 million domestically, and to date has brought in over $290 million at the box office globally, setting a milestone as Blumhouse’s highest earning film yet. It also sparked a record number of Peacock subscriptions upon its debut, which silenced some of the questions about why Universal didn’t hold off on sending it to streaming.
So while it’s safe to assume 2024 will bring plenty of news about Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, you know how the old saying goes: don’t count your Chicas before they’ve hatched.