View source for Five Nights at Freddy's (Movie)

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{{MovieInfobox
|title1=FNaF Movie
|image1=FNaFMovieDatePoster.jpeg
|caption1=Official Poster
|row1=[[Scott Cawthon]]<br>Emma Tammi
|row2=[[Scott Cawthon]]<br>Jason Blum<br>Kira Breed-Wrisley
|screenplay_by=[[Scott Cawthon]]<br>Emma Tammi<br>Jake Coburn
|distributed_by=Universal Pictures
|music_by=TBA
|starring='''Matthew Lillard''' <small>("Steve Raglan" William Afton)</small><br>'''Josh Hutcherson''' <small>(Mike Schmidt)</small><br>'''Piper Rubio''' <small>(Abby)</small><br>'''Mary Stuart Masterson''' <small>(Aunt Jane)</small><br>'''Grant Feely''' <small>(Ghost Kid #1)</small>
|cinematography=Lyn Moncrief
|release_date=October 27th, 2023<ref>[https://twitter.com/jason_blum/status/1643788117009391616?s=46&t=6MzE96ILpscZ_A1JDLKDhQ Jason Blum announcing the release date for the FNaF Movie]</ref>
|runtime=1 hour, 50 minutes
|based_on=Five Nights at Freddy's
|production_company=Blumhouse Productions<br>Striker Entertainment<br>Jim Henson's Creature Shop
}}

The '''Five Nights at Freddy's Movie''' is a adaptation of the ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' series and is a science-fiction horror film based on the video game of the same name created by [[Scott Cawthon]]. It was initially estimated for a 2020 release, but later revealed to be released October 27th, 2023. Filming was scheduled to begin Spring 2021, but was delayed because of Scott Cawthon's retirement.

== Summary ==
Based on the popular horror video game, a man starts a job working as a night watch security guard at the restaurant Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, where he discovers the animatronics move at night and will kill anyone they see.

== Development ==
[[Wikipedia:Warner_Bros._Pictures|Warner Bros. Pictures]] announced in April 2015 that it had acquired the series' film rights, with [[Wikipedia:Roy_Lee|Roy Lee]], David Katzenberg, and [[Wikipedia:Seth_Grahame-Smith|Seth Grahame-Smith]] scheduled to produce. Grahame-Smith said that they would collaborate with Cawthon "to make an insane, terrifying and weirdly adorable movie".<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-114 </ref> In July 2015, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Kenan Gil Kenan] signed to direct the adaptation and co-write it with Tyler Burton Smith.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-115 </ref>

In January 2017, Cawthon said that due to "problems within the movie industry as a whole", the film "was met with several delays and roadblocks" and was "back at square one". He promised "to be involved with the movie from day one this time, and that's something extremely important to me. I want this movie to be something that I'm excited for the fanbase to see."<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-116 </ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-117 </ref> Cawthon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter tweeted] a picture of a chair with the name "Freddy" with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blumhouse_Productions Blumhouse Productions] logo in March of that year, implying that the film has a new production company.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-118 </ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-119 </ref> Producer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Blum Jason Blum] confirmed the news two months later, saying that he was excited about working closely with Cawthon on the adaptation.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-120 </ref> In June 2017, Kenan said that he was no longer directing the film after Warner Bros. Pictures' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnaround_(filmmaking) turnaround].<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-121 </ref> It was announced in February 2018 that [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Columbus_(filmmaker) Chris Columbus] would direct and write the film, also producing it with Blum and Cawthon.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-Columbus-122</ref>

In August 2018, Cawthon announced that the script's first draft (involving the events of the first game) was completed and a second and third film were possible.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-123 </ref> That month, Blum tweeted that the film was planned for a 2020 release.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-124 </ref> In November 2018, Cawthon announced that the film's script had been scrapped and the film would be further delayed.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-125 </ref> On September 2019, the script for the movie has been confirmed to be finished. In June 2020, Blum said in an interview that the film is in super active development, and that it's moving rapidly forward, but that he doesn't want to put a timeline on it.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s#cite_note-126 </ref> In November 2020, Cawthon stated in a [https://www.reddit.com/r/fivenightsatfreddys/comments/jxvesb/bad_news_about_the_fnaf_movie/ Reddit post] that the screenplay had been chosen and that filming will start in Spring 2021, around March. Included was a list of scrapped screenplays with a small description of each and why they were ultimately eliminated.

After many months of silence, minus a single teaser image of a scaled model of Freddy being made, Jason Blum announced on October 5th 2022 that the film would be directed by Emma Tammi, that Jim Henson's Creature Shop would be working on the animatronics and that filming would begin in February of 2023.<ref>[https://twitter.com/jason_blum/status/1577786970465456128 Jason Blum's announcement of the director and general production of the FNaF film.]</ref>

On October 13th, Geek Vibes Nation shared a leak regarding aspects of the film, mainly the major human characters. The leak described three human characters to be Mike, Abby, and Vanessa.<ref>[https://geekvibesnation.com/new-character-details-for-blumhouses-five-nights-at-freddys-film/ Geek Vibes Nation's Article]</ref> The leak was met with hostility from the fanbase, as no sources were listed, however later on Production Weekly reported the same thing, likely proving the leaks correct.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Popgoes6/status/1580366150583848960 Kane Carter showcasing screenshots of the two articles.]</ref>

On December 16th, [[Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach/Gallery|Security Breach's]] first anniversary, DEADLINE reported that Matthew Lillard and Josh Hutcherson were set to be actors in the movie, making them the first confirmed cast members of the film. However their roles were not revealed at this point. <ref>[https://deadline.com/2022/12/five-nights-at-freddys-sets-matthew-lillard-amp-josh-hutcherson-1235201233/ DEADLINE's report on Matthew and Josh joining the film's cast.]</ref> Then, the very next day, Scott Cawthon gave Dawko a list of some cast members and their roles in the film. This included the previously mentioned Matthew Lillard and Josh Hutcherson, who played William Afton and Mike Schmidt respectively, and Piper Rubio as Mike's younger sister Abby, and Mary Stuart Masterson as an Unnamed Villain character.

On January 31st, 2023, Matthew Lillard revealed that he had signed a three-part contract with Blumhouse, suggesting the idea that the FNaF Movie will be the first in a trilogy of films.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfsMmQR3PDY&t=780s Matthew Lillard revealing in an interview his three-picture deal with Blumhouse for FNaF]</ref> Filming properly began on February 1st, 2023, as announced by Jason Blum on his twitter<ref>[https://twitter.com/jason_blum/status/1620928643299180544 Jason Blum teasing the first day of filming]</ref>, and teased by some of the actors on Instagram.

Finally, on April 5th, 2023, Jason Blum would officially announce the release date for the film, being October 27th. On the same day, Universal announced that the film would have day 1 streaming on Peacock.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CqrSLchJkM0/?img_index=1 Universal's Announcement tweet]</ref> Just over a month later on May 16th, Jason Blum would post the official FNaF poster, featuring the main four animatronics, and the [https://www.fivenightsatfreddys.movie/ official website] would be put up as well. Four other posters for each individual animatronic would also be revealed. Later that same day, a short teaser trailer would be released.

== Plot ==
At [[Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place]], a once-successful but now abandoned pizzeria and family entertainment center, a night guard desperately attempts to screw open a vent inside the main office, with something outside banging on the Security Office door. He eventually manages to unscrew it and crawls through to the storage room. He sees a locked gate and tries to open it to no avail. An animatronic suddenly charges at him and straps to a chair where an animatronic head gets close to his face with spinning blades. He tries to unscrew the chair but only managing to get one screw off before it goes to his face, brutally killing him off screen. The screen then pans to the main area, the lights still on, and then focuses on a picture of a yellow rabbit holding hands with five other children.

The scene then cuts to mall security guard Mike Schmidt, who wakes up at 6:00AM. He lazily turns off the alarm and puts some pills in the drawer before getting up and doing his workout. He gets dressed and goes to Abby's bedroom only to find her not in bed. He sees her makeshift tent in the corner of the room, with Abby inside. He calls out to her again but she doesn't respond to him. He gets agitated and goes up to the tent, shaking it before she eventually comes out and calls him a jerk. He reminds her that she knows that he has to go to work and to get dressed in 5 minutes, with her responding to him by throwing a teddy bear at him.

The scene cuts to his coworker, Jeremiah reading a book called "Dream Theory" stating "And though the dreamer remains asleep, he walks through memory as if experiencing it for the first time anew. No longer a passenger, but an active participant." Jeremiah laughs at it, asking if its for real. Mike respond that some people think so and that it depends on what you believe. He then talks about how he wishes he was in that scenario and asks if he could keep it, to which Mike declines and takes the book from him.

Afterwards, Mike goes to the ''Ice Cream Parties'' area and waits behind a lady who orders a "Walnut Fudge but with the fudge on the side so it won't melt the ice cream, as well as some whipped cream on top and three cherries". Mike notices a young boy on the side, but gets distracted by Cindy who asks him to order and asks if he wants his usual to which he says yes before noticing the child getting taken by a stranger. Mistaking him for a kidnapper, he chases after him throughout the mall and tackles him to the fountain, punching him multiple times before getting subdued by ''Jeremiah''. Mike then visits his career counselor, Steve Raglan, for help on a new job. Steve is baffled by his actions in the mall, the guy having been revealed to actually have been the young boy's father.

Mike proclaims that it was a mistake and a misunderstanding, with Steve Raglan calling out his employment records with him working at "Tire Zone" as a sales associate for two months before getting terminated due to insubordination as well as working at Media World as a custodial staff for only one week before getting fired. He calls out that he thinks he isn't even trying and that it was ironic that he is asking him for help. He says that he is only trying to help and reads out his name before stopping mid-sentence. He leans in for a closer look and suddenly asks for coffee, leaving Mike confused. He pours a cup of coffee and states that his options are ''really'' limited due to his bad track record. Mike says that he is willing to take any job, but Steve shuts him down, stating that it's not that easy. Disappointed, Mike gets up to leave the room before Steve calls out to him stating that he has a job for him and asks to sit down. He eventually does sit down and asks what the job is, Steve calling it a security gig. He discloses saying that it's not great because of the high-turnover but that he can be his own boss. He also states that he only has to worry about one thing; Keeping people out and making sure that the place is tidy, Mike correcting him afterwards stating that that's two things. He looks at him disappointingly before asking if he wants the job or not. Mike asks how the pay is, with Steve stating that its not great and that the hours are worse. He thinks about it before saying that he can't do nights, with Steve saying that its such a shame. Mike goes to leave but Steve stops him, handing him his business card so he could call him if he has a change of heart.

Mike then returns home, ripping off a paper about overdue rent payment, and says hello to Maxine after babysitting Abby. She sits on the couch watching a ring commercial, calling out that she wishes that someone would buy her a ring.

On his first night, Mike falls asleep and dreams about his brother, Garrett's, kidnapping and presumed murder, a dream he had the night before; the only difference being that Mike sees five children who witnessed the crime. When Mike tries to approach them, they run away. On the second night, Mike's dream is repeated, but when he attempts to confront one of the children, he is attacked and wakes up. Mike meets police officer Vanessa Shelly, who notices his wounds and patches him up. Vanessa shows him around the restaurant and tells him that it closed in the 1980s after five children were murdered there; their bodies were never found.

Jane hires a gang of vandals to vandalize the restaurant in order to get Mike fired, an act which would enable her to gain custody of Abby. As the break-in occurs, the restaurant's animatronic mascots — [[Freddy Fazbear]], [[Bonnie]], [[Chica]], [[Foxy]], and [[Mr. Cupcake (Film)|Mr. Cupcake]] — become alive and kill the gang. Among the vandals is Abby's babysitter Max, whose death results in Mike having to bring Abby to his next shift.

On the third night, the animatronics befriend Abby, but are hostile towards Mike. He discovers that the animatronics are possessed by the ghosts of the murdered children, whose leader, a blonde boy, consistently mentions a "yellow rabbit". On the fourth night, Abby is injured while she, Mike, and Vanessa are bonding with the animatronics. During her recovery, Vanessa learns Mike is attempting to identify Garrett's kidnapper, and warns him to not bring Abby to the restaurant again threatening him with a gun. Mike gets Jane to babysit Abby, much to her anger, as he goes back to the restaurant during the day and overdoses on sleeping pills.

Inside the dream, the five children appear again and tell Mike that he can stay with Garrett forever, in exchange for Abby. After denying their offer, Mike is repeatedly attacked in his dream and wakes up strapped to the animatronics' torture device. He escapes by removing pins that the previous deceased security guard had loosened, but is severely wounded by Foxy. A [[Golden Freddy|damaged yellow Freddy animatronic]], possessed by the blonde boy appears in Mike's house, kills Jane and takes Abby back to the restaurant by hitching a ride with a taxi driver.

Vanessa finds Mike and treats his injuries; after Mike explains his dream, Vanessa reveals that she is the daughter of William Afton, a serial killer who murdered Garrett and the five children by hiding their bodies in the animatronics, and that their souls are under his control. Realizing that William is planning to murder Abby, Mike rushes to the restaurant with the necessary equipment to disable the animatronics. At the restaurant, Chica attempts to kill Abby, but Mike arrives and saves her. Mike is attacked by Mr. Cupcake and separated from Abby. The animatronics are eventually defeated, but they are reactivated by Steve Raglan, who arrives wearing the "yellow rabbit" suit as he reveals himself to be William before knocking Mike unconscious.

Knowing that the animatronics need to understand the truth, Abby draws a picture of William murdering the children. Vanessa attempts to stop William from interceding with the plan, but is stabbed in the abdomen. Before William can kill Mike, Abby shows her drawing to the animatronics, and they turn on William. Mr. Cupcake bites off part of the suit, triggering its internal springlock mechanisms and fatally wounding William. The animatronics drag him into a back room as Mike and Abby carry a wounded Vanessa out of the restaurant; she falls into a coma afterwards and is taken to a hospital. Mike continues to look after Abby as they return to their normal lives. Meanwhile back in the restaurant, William is still clutching in pain in the back room while one of the ghost of the children closes the door. In the mid-credits scene, the taxi driver that picked up Abby and Golden Freddy earlier is on a break taking a nap when he hears the passenger door open. Initially thinking it's another customer, the driver is shocked to find a [[Balloon Boy]] figurine in the passenger seat. During the end credits, a distorted robotic voice spells out "Come find me."

== Characters ==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
=== Animatronics ===
* [[Freddy Fazbear (Film)|Freddy Fazbear]]
* [[Bonnie (Film)|Bonnie]]
* [[Chica (Film)|Chica]]
** [[Mr. Cupcake (Film)|Mr. Cupcake]]
* [[Foxy (Film)|Foxy]]
* Golden Freddy
* Balloon Boy
* [[Torture Freddy]]
* [[Shadow Freddy (Film)|Shadow Freddy]]
* [[Sparky]]
* Arnold <small>(aka Tina)</small>
{{Col-2}}
=== Humans ===
* Michael Schmidt
* Abby Schmidt
* William Afton <small>(aka Steve Raglan)</small>
* Vanessa Shelly
* Aunt Jane
* Bob
* Social Worker
* Garrett
* Max
* Mike's Parents
* Hank
* Carl
* Kim
* Dr. Lillian
* Doug
* Jeremiah
* Ness
* 80s Newscaster <small>(Advertising Only)</small>
{{Col-end}}

== Reception ==
'''''TBA'''''

== Trivia ==
* The 2019 science-fiction comedy-horror film ''The Banana Splits Movie'', based on the Hanna-Barbera TV show, is speculated to be a reworking of the original ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' film Warner Bros. was supposed to work on before the rights went to Blumhouse Productions.
* The 2021 action-comedy horror-thriller film ''Willy's Wonderland'' appears to have a similar plot line to the ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' video games, but the writer and director of the film deny any resemblance.
* This film is Blumhouse Productions' first ever video game film.
* In an interview with Jason Blum, it was revealed that the film was Blumhouse Productions' top priority before it wrapped up production in 2023.
* On September 1, 2020, it was revealed that Jason Blum was using MatPat's ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' theory videos as research for the film.
* Jason Blum claimed that it was possible that ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' fan Jamie Lee Curtis from the ''Halloween'' franchise might have been in the film.<ref> https://cosmicbook.news/jamie-lee-curtis-five-nights-freddys-movie</ref> However, she did not make an appearance in the final movie.
* On November 20, 2020, Scott Cawthon made a post on the official  ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' subreddit, where he revealed that multiple screenplays were considered, as well as explaining why those screenplays were rejected.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/fivenightsatfreddys/comments/jxvesb/bad_news_about_the_fnaf_movie/</ref>
* Before the film was released, it was theorized that Mike was actually Michael Afton, and that William Afton would be revealed to be his father. However, the film turns this on it's head, and makes Mike unrelated to Afton, instead making Vanessa his daughter.
* The teaser of the scale model of Freddy suggests that the costumes for the film might have been built off of Scott's own models, as many had pointed out that the proportions of the model seem to be identical to that of Scott's renders.
* Despite sharing the names of two pre-existing characters, Mike and Vanessa are noticeably different in their descriptions and depictions from their game counterparts, due to the movie being set in an alternative timeline.
** This is further supported by Mike's sister being named Abby, as well as Vanessa existing at the same time as Mike.
* Before the film released, it was speculated that [[Balloon Boy]] and [[Marionette|The Puppet]] would appear in the film. While Balloon Boy did appear as a toy, The Puppet makes no appearance in the film.
* A diner featured in a scene early in the film is named "Sparky's", which is seemingly a reference to a popular hoax by [https://blrdnames.tumblr.com/ Blrdnames] of a secret animatronic of the same name. Later in the film, a suit of [[Sparky|a dog character]] appears in the Backstage area of Freddy's, also seemingly being a reference to the hoax.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:FNaF Movie]]
[[Category:Film]]