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Back in late 2023, the popular Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series received a cinematic adaptation, courtesy of Universal and Blumhouse. While not a critical darling, the film, starring Josh Hutcherson and Matthew Lillard, opened to a staggering $80 million domestic opening and closed with an impressive $291 million worldwide, all from a budget of just $20 million. Of course, a sequel couldn’t be far behind, and now we have a new trailer for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.<\/p>\n
Like the original, FNAF 2 will be rated PG-13, so the terror will be reasonably family friendly, or at least as family friendly as a movie about animatronic killing machines possessed by the ghosts of children who were murdered by a serial killer can be.<\/p>\n
In addition to returning cast members Hutcherson and Lillard, the sequel will introduce newcomers played by the likes of Wayne Knight and McKenna Grace. It will also feature something of a Scream reunion, with Skeet Ulrich joining the cast, bringing him back together with his old co-star, Matthew Lillard. This could prove the film’s secret weapon, a way to reach horror audiences who otherwise might not be interested by the franchise.<\/p>\n
Director Emma Tammi and writer (and FNAF creator) Scott Cawthon are returning for the sequel, which carries a bigger budget of $51 million, which is blockbuster spending by Blumhouse standards. or comparison, Halloween Ends had a budget of $33 million, and their ill-fated redux of The Wolf Man also carried a modest budget of just $25 million. Generally, Blumhouse keeps costs down so that, even if a film bombs, they don’t lose out on a ton of money. In theory, this should allow them to make bold, risky, audacious choices with their films, but… Well, that’s a subject for another day.<\/p>\n
All told, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 aims to be bigger, better, and scarier than the first, adding new lore to the saga in an attempt to go from a franchise adaptation to a franchise in its own right. We’ll find out if audiences are game for a second night of pizza and terror when the film hits theaters on December 5, 2025.<\/p>\n