In The Five Nights At Freddy's Movie, The Animatronics' Eyes Are Red For A Reason
Fans of the popular "Five Nights at Freddy's" series have been waiting a long time for the film adaptation, eight years to be exact. With animatronics built by the legendary Jim Henson Creature Shop and a cast that boasts names like Josh Hutcherson and Matthew Lillard, there's plenty to get excited about. But when the teaser trailer and poster for "Five Nights at Freddy's" were first released, hardcore fans were immediately on the defense. Why were the animatronics' eyes red as opposed to the piercing white glow of the video games?
The frustration is understandable. Glowing red eyes are extremely common, with Terminators and even the robots in "WALL-E" glowing red to indicate danger or a malicious override. The practice is so common that it even has its own page on TV Tropes. The white eyes of "Five Nights at Freddy's" helped set the creatures apart from their contemporaries. Fans call the white glow "ghosteyes," a name indicating that, like a ghost, there's "nothing" behind the eyes. So it's understandable why fans would be disappointed to see Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy lose one of their most distinctive design traits in favor of something that's been done countless times before. Someone even started a Change.com petition to change the eye colors back to the game's original ... based on a trailer.
However, "Five Nights at Freddy's" production medic Garin Sparks has taken to social media multiple times to try and quell fan ire, reminding us all to be patient and "watch the movie."
Patience is a virtue
The passion of the "FNaF" fandom rivals that of Taylor's Swifties and the BTS ARMY, which means they've been scouring the internet for any insight into the new film, including hyper-analyzing comments from crew members on Instagram. After a disgruntled fan commented #MakeTheEyesWhiteAgain on a post Garin Sparks made of the film's poster, he was quick to set the record straight. "Watch the movie. It's explained!!!!" he replied. The same original complainer commented on a different poster Sparks posted, ignoring his comment of "just watch" and declaring that "white eyes would be scarier." Sparks, who clearly has the patience of a saint, didn't lay into the user but instead wrote, "Just wait..." This seems to have quelled the overeager fan who replied, "Wait you don't mean ... you guys didn't actually ... are they?"
This exchange proves that the different eye colors of the animatronics were an intentional decision backed up by the script, and also seems to indicate that the film will follow the theory that the animatronic eyes change depending on who is in control of the machines — human control or soul possession. When the film's second, longer trailer was released, footage was shown of the animatronics with many different eye colors, including Freddy Fazbear in his ghosteyed, and blue-eyed glory.
Fans will have to "just wait..." until "Five Nights at Freddy's" hits theaters and Peacock on October 27, 2023.