Five Nights At Freddy's Movie Could Be Much 'Deeper' Than Anyone Expects
What makes "Five Nights at Freddy's" terrifying? As a video game series that leans heavily on atmospheric fears that elevate the quality of jumpscares, the "Five Nights at Freddy's" franchise (FNAF) is synonymous with scaring the bejeesus out of players. As this immersive, visceral quality is unique to individual gameplay or invested backseating, the upcoming "FNAF" adaptation — which is being helmed by Emma Tammi — has its work cut out for itself when it comes to capturing the essence of the games. As a result, the Blumhouse-produced "Five Nights at Freddy's" film will need to venture beyond franchise rules and introduce fresh elements that work while still retaining the DNA of the games at its core, all while combining creepy lore and spooky elements to create a terrifying experience.
The recently-released trailer for the film does hint that "Five Nights at Freddy's" will alter the stakes of the premise by shifting focus to characters other than the protagonist, Mike Schmidt (John Hutcherson). While Mike's life is certainly in danger after he accepts a security job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza establishment, there seems to be more at stake, as his sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), is also present at the pizzeria. This adds unsettling emphasis on the life of an innocent child, who needs to be saved if the cycle of missing children and killer animatronics is to be broken anytime soon. This aspect already deepens the film's premise, as it subverts the protagonist-only perspective of "FNAF" gameplay and employs lore for deeper emotional impact.
Tammi's longtime friend and collaborator, Teresa Sutherland (whose directorial debut, "Lovely, Dark, and Deep" recently premiered at Fantasia Film Festival), echoed the above sentiment when she told MovieWeb that the "FNAF" adaptation will dive deeper by telling "a very human story" that is slightly different from the games.
A more humanized FNAF
Sutherland, who had written the screenplay for Tammi's feature debut, "The Wind," talked at length about the director's ability to elevate the subject material beyond the confines of the source material, and make creatives like her feel "included" during projects. When asked about "FNAF," Sutherland explained that while she has not seen the film or read the script yet, she's confident that Tammi will bring her signature profundity to the franchise:
"[What] Emma will bring to Freddy's is just the story that you want, like a very human story will be in that movie. I know that there's going to be style there. There's going to be something that is just deeper than what you might think for this kind of adaptation."
"FNAF" gameplays are known for their short and sweet nature; each installment is a bite-sized hellscape that lasts a couple of minutes, but the intensity of the horror keeps the players on edge. Capturing this sentiment in a feature-length adaptation will certainly be a challenge, as onscreen narratives ebb and flow, unlike locked-in first-person perspectives that are set on objective-based progression. This demands investment in the human aspect of the story while integrating it with in-game lore that connects the errant dots across the franchise, which thrives on creepypasta and its implications rather than outright violence or gore.
While it's too early to speculate how the "FNAF" adaptation will end up tackling these issues, it is clear that the film will benefit from a more human perspective — one that does not merely involve the threat of a gruesome death inside a spare animatronic endoskeleton.
"Five Nights at Freddy's" will hit theaters and stream simultaneously on Peacock on October 27, 2023.