Believe it or not, a 5 Nights At Freddy’s movie has been in the works since 2015! Five years on, will we ever get the film and is it really something the franchise needs?
The latest update on the 5 Night’s At Freddy’s film
After complete silence on the film’s progress since 2018, rumours began to spread that the film was cancelled entirely.
The rights were acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2015, but in 2017 it was passed over to Blumhouse Productions.
The original script was scrapped by the game’s creator, Scott Cawthon, despite being approved by both Chris Columbus and Jason Blum.
In 2018, Cawthon took to online forums to share the news:
I’m sticking to what I’ve always said, either the right movie gets made or no movie gets made. I hate delaying a project that’s already seen so many delays, but I have to go with my instincts on what I think will be exciting and interesting, and what I think the fanbase will really want to see.
“If that means that I have to start over ten more times, then that’s what I’m going to do.
The good thing is that each attempt gets better and better, in my opinion. So, despite the delays, it’s going in the right direction.”
Up until earlier this year, there hadn’t been any further updates on the film.
That was until, producer James Blum spoke to fandom, and clarified that the project is actually moving ahead quickly behind the scenes.
However, a definitive release date is still unknown.
Blum said he doesn’t want to put a timeline on the movie, but there is a “good shot” that we will be getting one.
What’s the film going to be about?
Credit: Scott Cawthon
Read more: Creepy Video Games You Wish Didn’t Exist
The original script was based on the first game, with each subsequent film following the next game.
However, since it’s been scrapped we don’t know what the new script will be about.
Casual players can play the games with little regard to the lore; all you need to know is that the animatronics are active at night; you don’t need to know why they are.
Bigger fans of the franchise are infatuated with the FNAF backstory.
Among all the fan theories and hints from the creator, there is a solid story that is regarded as canon.
The spin-off books, penned by Cawthon himself are somewhat canon but considered retellings of the original events of the series.
Without delving into subplots and fan theories too much, the overarching plot of 5 Nights At Freddy’s is just as dark as you would imagine.
The FNAF Plot
Credit: Scott Cawthon
Read more: Daniel Craig Reveals He Wanted To Play Superman As A Child, Not James Bond
A child is murdered at the original Fazbear Family Dinner, by “the Purple Guy”, and the location is quickly shutdown.
However, the spirit of the child possessed one of the two animatronics that existed at the time.
Then the first Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria opens, where another four children are murdered by the same guy.
The spirits of these kids go onto possessed the most recognizable figures from the game; Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy.
This is because their bodies were hidden in the suits, and never found.
The spirits are naturally distrusting of adults, but protect children.
This is why, they spend the nights tormenting the security guard, making the aim of the game to survive.
“The Purple Guy” who killed the children, is William Afton; an engineer who build the suits.
The additional “Purple Guy” who shows up later in the series, is Michael Afton who is seeking redemption after he accidentally gets his brother, whos known as The Crying Boy, killed in the “Bite of 87”.
William goes on to become Springtrap in FNAF4 after the children get revenge, but his soul is trapped in a suit.
Do We Need a Movie at all?
Credit: Scott Cawthon
Read more: Will Lucifer Season 5 See Chloe Decker And Lucifer Have A Baby?
Between the hints and tips spread throughout the games in the form of mini-games, phone calls, and newspaper clippings, the fanbase has enjoyed piecing the story together.
There are also the accompanying books and player guides that help fill in the blanks.
While screen adaptions of games, books, or comics often disappoint die-hard fans of a franchise, the fact that the game creator is so heavily involved is reassuring.
As he’s penning the script, it is unlikely the films will veer too off course to the original story.
That said, naturally, people are going to draw compassions between this and Slenderman.
The 2018 Slenderman film notoriously got poor reviews.
A key difference between Slenderman is the FNAF is contained within the fanbase and the creator still has power over the narrative.
Slenderman was conceived as a creepypasta in 2009, and became larger than the user who created him.
Slenderman became a figure in other creepypasta, and a recurring character in tales such as Marble Hornets (which also featured Slenderman in their movie), and where he is arguably the most recognized; the Slender games.
Whereas, FNAF fans don’t just love the games because of the jump scares and creepy characters; they’re invested in the lore of the world.
FNAF was seemingly everywhere when the first few games came out, as popular Youtubers like Dan and Phil, and Markiplier uploaded gaming videos.
For a lot of people, once the mainstream channels stopped playing circa FNAF 4 and 5, so too did their investment in the franchise.
So, one of the concerns with the film is, are there enough people left who care to see it?
Shouldn’t it have been made years ago when it was more topical?
No. A rushed movie and a cash grab wouldn’t have gone down well.
The move from Warner to a smaller production company suggests that everyone involved knows the FNAF movie will be a cult classic.
There’s nothing wrong with that, isn’t it better to be loved more deeply than widely?
I don’t think the franchise “needs” a film, but I’m still eager to see it whenever it finally sees the night of day.
What do you make of this feature?
Do you think we need a 5 Nights At Freddy’s movie?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!
And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!
I think we do I think it could revolutionize the horror movie community and I think with the right script it could make it big