Summary
The Five Nights at Freddy's movie is set in the early 2000s, showcasing family entertainment centers like Freddy Fazbear's Pizza that were popular during that time.
The movie deviates from the video game's timeline by setting the events thirty years after the closure of the pizzeria in the early 1990s. In a new narrative twist, the movie depicts Mike's brother being kidnapped, resulting in a shift in the timeline to the early 2000s rather than the 1990s.
Five Nights at Freddy's director, Emma Tammi, has unveiled the hidden timeline of the movie. Inspired by the popular video game series by Scott Cawthon, who co-wrote the screenplay, the film adaptation delves into the story of a troubled security guard assigned to the night shift at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Here, four animatronic mascots come to life and ruthlessly attack anyone remaining after midnight. Headlined by Josh Hutcherson, the Five Nights at Freddy's cast includes Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Matthew Lillard.
In a recent interview with Uproxx, Tammi discreetly disclosed the exact timeframe of the Five Nights at Freddy's movie. While it may not be immediately apparent, the director clarified that the film takes place in the year 2000. She further elaborated on this creative decision. Read her complete statement below:
We were in the vicinity of the year 2000, taking into account the significance of Y2K. However, we did not want to be directly involved with that event as it was not relevant to our story. By considering when the pizzeria would have opened, closed, and when Mike's brother would have been abducted, we were able to construct a rough timeline which placed us around the year 2000.
The Five Nights At Freddy's Movie Timeline Explained
The Five Nights at Freddy's film is set in the early 2000s, capturing the nostalgia of a time when family entertainment centers like Freddy Fazbear's Pizza were thriving. These centers, reminiscent of the real-life Chuck E. Cheese chain, featured animatronic shows that have since become less popular and discontinued. In the film, as we enter the early 2000s, the once vibrant Freddy's is now abandoned, leaving the new security guard, Mike Schmidt (played by Josh Hutcherson), to uncover the mysteries of its past. Similarly, the first video game in the Five Nights at Freddy's series takes place 30 years after the pizzeria closed, placing the present timeline in the early 1990s. The game also mentions the infamous "Bite of '87," an incident that resulted in the animatronics being locked up during the day. However, in a deviation from the games, the movie portrays Mike's brother being kidnapped, which explains the shift in the timeline to the early 2000s instead of the 1990s.
Source: Uproxx