Five Nights At Freddy's: Why We Expect Elizabeth Lail's Vanessa To Be A Franchise Movie Twist
The first "Five Nights at Freddy's" game sees players taking on the role of security guard Mike Schmidt, who is tasked with monitoring the strange happenings at a closed-down pizzeria and family entertainment center where the animatronics come to life after dark and attack unsuspecting victims. "FNaF" has since expanded into a full-fledged multi-media franchise, but for those who haven't followed the lore of the games, this is where the general population's knowledge starts and ends. It was expected that the upcoming film adaptation from Blumhouse and Universal would focus on Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson)'s first five nights at the pizzeria, but fans were shocked to see another familiar franchise face in the mix — Vanessa A., played by Elizabeth Lail.
Lail is arguably most well known for her turn as Anna (of "Frozen" fame) on ABC's "Once Upon a Time," but she's not quite reached the status of a household name. This makes her the perfect person to play Vanessa, a character that has a rich history in the "FNaF" story and could very well become the focus at the center of the film series (if there are sequels, of course), other than the killer animatronics. Sure, this blonde cop looks like she could be a solid ally to Mike Schmidt, but fans of the games know better. Here's why we expect Vanessa to be a franchise movie twist.
What is Vanessa/Vanny's story?
Vanessa was originally hired as a security guard at Fazbear Funtime Service and was later contacted by the in-universe game developers from Silver Parasol Games to provide input on "The Freddy Fazbear Virtual Experience" (which is part of the actual virtual reality game "Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted") after the company accidentally created a virus through the animatronics. Vanessa lied and claimed to be a Senior IT Representative from Fazbear Entertainment in order to receive full access to the system. Why would a lowly security guard go to such extreme lengths to obtain classified information? Well, that's because Vanessa, aka Vanny, is a possessed follower of the digital virus Glitchtrap, a form of the serial killer William Afton. After Vanny gained control of the Silver Parasol Games system, she locked employees out of their accounts and it's implied that everyone in the production warehouse was killed by animatronics under her control.
As Vanny, Vanessa wears a white bunny costume with patchwork stitching all over it, resembling a handmade rag doll bunny plush. This is emphasized by her light-tilted blue bow around the neck like a traditional Peter Cottontail, and the bunny mask has a wide, cartoonish smile with buck teeth and long whiskers. Her eyes glow red, and she looks more like a play on an Easter bunny than a rock 'n' roll animatronic animal like Bonnie from the original four characters. The name is a play on "Vanessa" and "Bunny," and the characters of Vanny and Vanessa are never seen in the same place at the same time in any of the games. Vanessa's last name is also listed as just "A.," leading many fans to believe that she might be a relative of William Afton.
However, it's still unknown just how Glitchtrap was able to fully manipulate Vanessa to transform her into Vanny.
How could this play out in the films?
In May of 2023, Matthew Lillard teased the possibility of "Five Nights at Freddy's" being a film trilogy, so the introduction of Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa A. in the first film seems like a great entry point for the character. The trailers present her as a helpful companion to security guard Mike Schmidt, but perhaps she's already under the control of William Afton and simply doing his bidding. Vanny becomes the main villain in "FNAF: Security Breach," which also comes with a "Princess Quest" ending that frees Vanessa from Glitchtrap's clutches. This provides plenty of room for Vanessa to have a cliffhanger reveal in the first movie as being evil, become the main baddie in the second film, and find redemption and relief from Afton's control in the final film.
Of course, this is all merely speculation, and there's always the possibility that the "Five Nights at Freddy's" film could establish an entirely different canon for Vanessa/Vanny. However, given the fact the trailers present her as someone acting as a guide or vessel of knowledge for the world of Freddy Fazbear, it seems like she may be used as an acolyte role for William Afton, especially if he is killed and stuffed into the Springtrap Bonnie suit, as the trailer already proves is a possibility. This is all to say, don't be surprised if the seemingly friendly police officer with all of the knowledge of the dilapidated pizzeria in the movie trailers turns out to be a villainous femme fatale. The games have been warning us all along.
"Five Nights at Freddy's" arrives in theaters and streaming on Peacock beginning October 27, 2023.