After many years of being stuck in development hell, the Five nights at Freddy’s movie is finally coming, and we now have the proof: the first teaser trailer.
The movie seems to closely mimic the look, tone, and even mechanics of the viral horror video game series it’s based on, in which players must survive the night in a run-down pizza parlor themed with murderous animatronic mascots.
No wonder it’s so faithful – game series creator Scott Cawthon has screenwriting and producer credits on the film, which is directed by Emma Tammi and co-produced by horror impresario Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions label. Reportedly, Cawthon’s insistence on getting the script to his satisfaction led to several previous attempts at filming Five nights at Freddy’s is being demolished. (A movie adaptation was first announced in 2015, and at one point Home alone and Harry Potter director Chris Columbus, of all people, was attached to direct it.) Cawthon is a controversial figure who has stopped developing the games, so he’s had nothing to distract him from this film adaptation of his baby.
The film stars Josh Hutcherson (who played Peeta in the Hunger Games series) as a security guard who works the night shift at a long-abandoned branch of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Eagle-eyed viewers will also catch a brief glimpse of the great Matthew Lillard, who was so disturbing in Twin Peaks: The Return, looking a little sinister behind a desk. I shudder to think what he’s up to in this movie. The animatronic characters were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
Five nights at Freddy’s opens simultaneously in theaters and streaming on Peacock on Oct. 27, just in time for Halloween.