'Five Nights at Freddy's' Movie Takes Huge Leap Forward

By Daniel S. Levine

The long-awaited film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's is finally moving forward. Blumhouse Productions founder Jason Blum named Emma Tammi as the film's director on Wednesday. He also confirmed filming will start in February 2023 and that Jim Henson Creature Shop will be responsible for bringing the murderous animatronic mascots to life.

Tammi made her feature film debut with the 2018 Western horror film The Wind, which earned rave reviews at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. She went on to direct the podcast series The Left Right Game in 2020 and helmed two episodes of the Hulu anthology horror series Into the Dark. Tammi also directed the documentaries Fair Chase (2014) and Election Day: Lens Across America (2017).

Five Nights at Freddy's was created by Scott Cawthorn and launched in 2014. In most entries of the franchise, the player takes the role of an employee at a fictional pizza restaurant called Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The player has to survive five nights at the restaurant, where the animatronics turn into murderous creatures at closing. The main series includes eight games, with the most recent, Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, being released in 2021. There have also been several spinoffs and the franchise has inspired plenty of merchandise for fans.

Cawthorn, Tammi, and Seth Cuddeback are writing the film's script, reports Variety. Cawthorn and Blum will produce through Blumhouse and Striker Entertainment. Russell Binder will be an executive producer.

"In meeting with Emma, I felt she had a great understanding of the franchise, and really felt that she could craft something that would please the fanbase and keep people on the edge of their seats," Cawthorn said in a statement Wednesday. "Stepping into the rich, terrifying world of Freddy's alongside Scott Cawthon, Blumhouse and Jim Henson's Creature Shop is beyond thrilling," Tammi added. "I cannot wait for audiences to immerse themselves in the wild and wonderful playground we are creating."

"Five Nights at Freddy's is more consistently asked about than any other film I've ever worked on, and I'm thrilled to confirm it's finally happening! With Emma Tammi at the helm, we're committed to making Scott's vision of the movie come to life," Blum said. "Rest assured, it will be and is worth the wait."

Five Nights at Freddy's fans have been waiting since at least 2015 for a movie based on the games. Warner Bros. originally had the film rights, but after the studio's attempts went nowhere, Blumhouse won the rights in 2017. In 2018, the studio hired Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) to direct, but that version also stalled. Now that Tammi is directing, it looks like a Five Night at Freddy's movie will happen this time.

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