In 2014, Scott Cawthon released the first Five Nights at Freddy’s game, forever changing the direction of indie horror. The combination of this unique play style and the ever growing popularity of YouTube, an almost cultish fanbase quickly grew. While the franchise has long since left the height of its popularity (although more recently had a surge when “Security Breach” came out in December 2021), it is finally being put into film.

The FNAF movie has been in the works for eight years, starting with Gil Kenan as director and co-writer and Warner Bros. Pictures in 2015, switching to Blumhouse Productions and Chris Columbus as director and co-writer in 2017, and now Emma Tammi as director and co-writer. It seems as though this production is here to stay, having started filming in February, and the building having been spotted by fans. 

The casting is quite minimal as of now; Matthew Lillard as William Afton, Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, Piper Rubio as Abby Schmidt, and Mary Stuart Masterson as an unnamed villain. 

Here’s a refresher on the characters:

William Afton is the main antagonist of this franchise, often referred to as the “Purple Guy” or the “Man Behind The Slaughter.” He is the co-founder of Fazbear Entertainment and the founder of Afton Robotics. He is also a serial killer, killing (at least) six children. 

Mike Schmidt is the night guard on shift in (some of) the games, assumed by many to be an alias of Michael Afton, William’s only remaining child. 

Abby Schmidt is Mike’s younger sister, and from what I can find, is a new character belonging solely to the movie. 

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is working on the animatronics, popular for their work on the Muppets and “Sesame Street.” Having great experience in the children’s industry, I am hopeful that we won’t be facing a “live-action Sonic” situation; that they will successfully capture the uncanny valley eeriness that makes Cawthon’s slew of characters so popular. 

Fans are hopeful that Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach will make a cameo, being a huge part in the blowup of this franchise with his Let’s Plays for each game as they came out; especially since he recently shared that he will be filming a movie. He neither confirmed nor denied whether or not he will make an appearance, only time will tell. 

While there isn’t a confirmed release date, it will likely be released sometime in late 2023 or early 2024. For now, all we can do is wait patiently.