Five Nights At Freddy's Director Is 'Honored' To Be Part Of A Horror Legacy [Exclusive]
They say you never forget your first monster. I certainly did not. Two of my earliest childhood memories are of me watching horror movies with my mom, sitting down for the miniseries version of "Stephen King's IT" at the age of 4 on a rented VHS set, and racing home after trick-or-treating at age 6 to finally watch John Carpenter's "Halloween" on AMC Fearfest. It's been nearly three decades since those events took place, but I swear to you I can still smell the laundry on the couch during "IT" and hear the sound of trick-or-treaters' feet kicking up wet leaves outside during "Halloween."
As a genre, horror has consistently remained both popular and profitable, turning some of its most recognizable figures into legacy icons, and creating new ones with every generation. And one of the latest to add to the canon is Freddy Fazbear of "Five Nights at Freddy's," a character birthed from an indie video game that is now part of a franchise with an estimated value of over $100 million. With 13 games (with more to come), over 30 books, and more merchandise than you can wrap your head around, "Five Nights at Freddy's" is to a young generation what Michael Myers was to those that came before.
I recently spoke with Emma Tammi, the director of the long-awaited "Five Nights at Freddy's" film adaptation, to discuss the die-hard fandom of the franchise and what it means to her to know that she's part of a new horror legacy. Yes, r/FiveNightsAtFreddys members, I did tell her that some of y'all are planning on showing up to the theater in full costumes, and her response was, "Yes! Oh, that would be so great!"
But processing the intensity of what this story means to many people had Tammi fighting back tears.
'I feel really honored'
After telling Tammi about the people planning on cosplaying at the theatrical screenings, I brought up my own childhood memories of watching horror with my friends and pointed out that some of the young people in my life are already planning sleepover watch parties since the film is going day-and-date, and will be available to stream the same day it hits theaters. Considering the PG-13 rating, it will certainly also be the first horror movie some kids ever watch. Tammi's response reflected that she definitely understands the severity of that reality.
"I mean, I am tearing up a little bit hearing you say that, because it's really emotional," she said. "I feel really honored to be a part of that and I'm so excited that they have it to start consuming soon." Tammi emphasized that being a part of this franchise is something she views as a privilege because she knows how much this movie will "hopefully" mean to so many fans, both young and old. "But I know it's been a long time coming," she said, "So I'm excited that it's finally here for everyone."
Fans have been waiting for this film for nearly a decade, and given the franchise's indie roots devoid of a major studio backing, the fandom is used to being viewed as on the margins compared to say, the "Scream" fandom or even video game crossover fandoms like "Resident Evil." Fortunately, with the new movie heading our way, Freddy might finally get the respect of the general populace as being the (sort of) living horror legacy figure he truly is.
"Five Nights at Freddy's" arrives in theaters and streaming on Peacock on October 27, 2023.