The golden age of video game adaptations is here, but between all the fun in things like Sonic the Hedgehog, there’s still room for horror. Five Nights at Freddy’s is all about that, and the star of the sequel, Josh Hutcherson, wants everyone to know that will continue.
While having trouble connecting with critics, the first film was a massive success for Universal and Blumhouse, grossing nearly $300 million despite releasing in theaters and on Peacock on the same day. The powers that be couldn’t greenlight a follow-up soon enough, but they, as well as the cast and crew, know that they have to go big or go home.
“It’s much bigger; the stakes are higher,” Hutcherson told Esquire. “There’s more animatronics being brought in, different animatronics being brought in, and the world just opens up in a big way. We’re finding the balance right now of building this world and expanding it in a really cool way but also making sure the characters stay really grounded.”
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“That’s something that I really think that we all fought for in the first film, because this world that was created in Five Nights at Freddy’s, it’s so out-there,” he continued. “It’s so over-the-top and wacky, in a way, that to find the emotional truth of the characters was gonna be what was gonna work. I think the fans are gonna flip for it. It’s gonna be a lot of fun with the source. It’s gonna be scarier, too, actually.”
One of the criticisms of the first movie was its lack of real scares, so it’s nice to know that, despite all the success, the horror dial is being turned up a few notches. It remains to be seen which animatronics will make the jump to live-action next, but, as Five Nights at Freddy’s lorekeepers know, there are plenty to choose from.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 hits theaters on December 2, 2025.
Published: Oct 4, 2024 09:18 am