Five Nights at Freddy’s: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie has been delayed more times than anyone can count. The video game came out in 2015, and the film has been in the works since 2017. The video game inspired several sequels, a line of comic books, and even a number of novels. After trading directors, writers, and production companies, the movie got a full cast, a good script, and the studio began filming in February of this year. Five Nights at Freddy’s has been a long time in the making, but the cult fanbase has stayed hopeful. So make sure you keep an eye on your monitor because those animatronic mascots are coming for you.

Five Nights at Freddy’s promises to be an excellent horror film ever since its fanbase became obsessed with the video game. Though it appeared to be a lot of jump scares at first, fans quickly discovered that it was much deeper than anyone had initially thought. Tiny clues in what might have seemed to be relatively short gameplay were put together to reveal a complex story that was not only very difficult but continuously entertaining. Five Nights at Freddy’s is a game with a relatively simple premise that has grown a massive fanbase because of its deep story.

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Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Plot

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The game, Five Nights at Freddy’s puts the player in the seat of an innocent security guard who takes a job as a night watchman at a children’s arcade. The setting appears to be something familiar of a Chuck E. Cheese franchise. The main character is meant to watch the robotic animals that seem to be walking around at night. The game takes place entirely in one room, in which the player sits and watches several security monitors. Only one monitor can be viewed at a time, and the animatronic mascots don’t move while you’re watching them. You also have the option of locking one of two security doors. Of course, the challenge comes with looking in the right place at the right time. If the player fails to keep an eye on one of these monstrosities, they will suddenly appear in the security room and kill the main character.

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The protagonist is named Mike Schmidt. He’s hired to work security at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and must work a shift from 12 to 6 a.m. It’s explained that the animatronics wander the restaurant at night to keep their servos from locking up, but it’s eventually revealed that these creatures may be hunting people because they are inhabited by the souls of children murdered at the site. The story gets more complicated with the sequels. In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, the guy on the phone during the game (aptly named Phone Guy) elaborates more on the restaurant’s history and eventually pays the player with a check dated 1987, implying that this game is a prequel to the original.

Over the years, the mystery of this haunted restaurant is slowly revealed. As the sequels continue, the lore surrounding Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza expands. Different locations are added, and more details are exposed. The game is also loaded with hidden minigames and easter eggs. While the plot of the movie hasn’t fully been revealed – beyond a short description that sounds a lot like the game – it’s safe to assume it will follow the spirit of the video game. One can expect tons of jump scares, hidden details, and frightening deteriorated robot animals.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Cast

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The cast for Five Nights at Freddy’s is set to be quite exciting. While no one is listed as Phone Guy yet, some solid stars are attached to the movie. Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) is positioned to star as Mike Schmidt, the main character from the first game. Matthew Lillard (Scream, SLC Punk!) will play William Afton, the series’ main antagonist and co-founder of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Afton is a notable character in the game due to his complicated backstory and relationship with his son, who is hired to be a security guard in one of the games. William Afton is also largely responsible for creating the animatronics.

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Elizabeth Lail (You, Once Upon a Time) will play Vanessa, also known as Vanny, a security guard in the FNAF game Security Breach who may suffer from dissociative identity disorder after being possessed by the spirit of William Afton. Her character is known for being both a security guard and for walking around in a ruined white costume. Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes, Blindspot) is listed as playing a female villain, though her character isn’t specified beyond that. Several children are also listed as actors, whose names are unfamiliar to the series. One would assume they will be playing the souls of the unfortunate victims of this children’s restaurant.

Five Nights at Freddy’s does not have an official release date, but the filming has only just begun, so the movie won’t be released until the end of 2023 at the earliest.