The Prolonged Journey of Creating a Five Nights at Freddy's Film

The Big Picture

After facing numerous delays and setbacks, the film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's is finally in theaters and streaming on Peacock.

Throughout the development process, Scott Cawthon, the creator, had complete control over decision-making, resulting in script revisions and project delays in his pursuit of the perfect storyline for the movie.

The movie's production team, spearheaded by director Emma Tammi and supported by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, is dedicated to transforming Scott Cawthon's creative vision into reality, promising fans that the wait will be rewarded.

Almost ten years have passed since the release of the first Five Nights at Freddy's game in the summer of 2014. It gained instant popularity due to its chilling premise, where the player assumes the role of a lone security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, haunted by animatronics that come alive at night with a deadly intention.

The game's success led to the creation of seven sequels, numerous spin-offs, and even a series of novels. The Five Nights at Freddy's franchise has become immensely popular among gamers worldwide. Recognizing its potential, Hollywood expressed interest in adapting the game into a feature film. Fans eagerly anticipated a thrilling and highly successful horror movie, but the journey was not without its challenges.

Securing the rights to develop the movie required convincing the creator of Five Nights at Freddy's, Scott Cawthon. This proved to be a more difficult task than anticipated, presenting obstacles to those eager to bring this captivating world to the big screen.

Experience the chilling suspense of Five Nights at Freddy's! This popular horror game takes on a whole new level of terror in a haunting cinematic adaptation produced by Blumhouse, the masterminds behind M3GAN, The Black Phone, and The Invisible Man. Immerse yourself in the twisted tale of a troubled security guard who embarks on a terrifying journey at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. As he faces his first night on the job, he quickly realizes that surviving the night shift won't be a walk in the park. Get ready for a heart-pounding thrill ride like no other!

Director Emma TammiCast Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail, Mary Stuart MastersonRating PG-13Runtime 110 minutesMain Genre Horror

Warner Bros. Attempted a 'Five Nights At Freddy's in 2015

On April 7, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that after the successful release of the first Five Nights at Freddy's game, plans were underway to turn it into a feature film. The film would be produced by Vergo Entertainment, specifically by Roy Lee, Seth Grahame-Smith, and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith Productions. Grahame-Smith expressed excitement about working with Scott to create a movie that would be both terrifying and strangely endearing. Cawthon added that the story lent itself well to being a movie and would appeal to a wide audience. At the time, no writers had been confirmed.

Warner Bros. was chosen as the distributor for the film. The team behind the project had also been involved in other film projects like a Beetlejuice sequel and Cary Funkunaga's It, but these films never came to fruition. Unfortunately, despite the initial announcement, the Five Nights at Freddy's film faced setbacks and was unable to settle on a script. As a result, Warner Bros. dropped the project in 2017. Gil Kenan, who was set to direct the film, confirmed on Twitter that he was no longer attached to the project. However, in the same year, Blumhouse, led by Jason Blum, picked up the development of Five Nights at Freddy's. Despite the change in production companies, further delays continued to affect the progress of the film.

Jason Blum Explains Creator Scott Cawthon Had the Final Say

Image via ScottGames

In 2018, a new script was developed for Five Nights at Freddy's, this time written by Chris Columbus. Known for his work on popular films like Home Alone and the Harry Potter series, Columbus seemed like the perfect fit for the tone that Five Nights at Freddy's aimed to achieve. The script received praise from Jason Blum, but unfortunately, the game's creator, Scott Cawthon, did not share the same enthusiasm. Cawthon openly admitted on an online game forum that although both Jason Blum and Chris Columbus liked the script, he decided to discard it. Cawthon had a different vision for the movie and believed it was essential to find the right story. Taking full responsibility for the delay, he stated that he was determined to create a film that would truly excite and interest the fans. Cawthon emphasized that he would not compromise on his vision and was willing to start over multiple times if necessary. Despite the setbacks, he remained optimistic that each attempt would improve upon the last and bring the project closer to what he envisioned.

By early 2021, the filming of the film was scheduled to commence in spring, as stated by Cawthon. In September 2021, Jason Blum informed our website that Chris Columbus had exited the project. Blum emphasized their commitment to crafting multiple scripts that would do justice to Five Nights at Freddy's and satisfy Scott Cawthon, stating, "The only way that we would proceed is by giving Scott ... I don't want to do something that Scott doesn't like. Let me rephrase that. I don't have the authority to do anything that Scott doesn't approve of. Essentially, Scott holds the equivalent of 'final cut,' and it's taking longer than anticipated to develop the perfect narrative." Blum also expressed unwavering determination, affirming, "We're far from giving up. I am confident that eventually I will find the solution." The impediment to any progress on the Five Nights at Freddy's film rested solely with creator Scott Cawthon; despite the influence of Blum and Columbus in Hollywood, they were powerless as long as Cawthon continued to reject their ideas. He possessed the ultimate decision-making power.

’Five Nights at Freddy’s Has Finally Made Its Way Into Theaters and Onto Peacock

In October 2022, Five Nights at Freddy took its final form, marking a significant milestone. A new script was accepted by Cawthon and Emma Tammi was announced as the new director. Tammi collaborated with Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback in co-writing the script. The excitement continued to mount as it was revealed that the renowned Jim Henson's Creature Shop would be responsible for designing the animatronics. At that time, Jason Blum expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Five Nights at Freddy’s is the most frequently requested film I've ever worked on, and I'm thrilled to confirm that it is finally becoming a reality! With Emma Tammi leading the way, we are fully dedicated to bringing Scott's vision to life. Rest assured, the wait will be worth it and the outcome phenomenal."

Five Nights at Freddy's, the highly anticipated film adaptation, commenced casting shortly after. Josh Hutcherson was chosen to play the role of Mike Schmidt, the unfortunate security guard, while horror enthusiast Matthew Lillard was cast as William Afton, the owner of Fazbear Entertainment. Universal Pictures obtained the distribution rights. Presently, Five Nights at Freddy's can be enjoyed in theaters and streamed on Peacock. However, one crucial question remains: did the movie miss its prime opportunity? Nearly ten years have passed since the release of the first game. If the film had debuted around 2016 as initially planned, it could have capitalized on the immense popularity of the game. Only time will unravel the truth. Nevertheless, Five Nights at Freddy's has already garnered $52.8 million at the global box office and is expected to generate approximately $130 million during its opening weekend, suggesting that the franchise's allure has not waned.

Find out more about the movie and where to purchase tickets here.

Watch on Peacock