The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie adaptation has already set up a major change for its highly anticipated sequel — and it ties directly into preexisting FNAF lore. Based on the video game series of the same name created by Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy’s broke box office records, ultimately grossing a staggering $297.2 million at the box office. While critics slammed the movie for its tone and material, fans of the series clearly flocked to theaters. The FNAF movie’s success was further bolstered by its release on streaming. Unsurprisingly, it was quickly green-lit for a sequel.
Like Cawthon’s original game, Five Nights at Freddy’s unfolds at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a once-successful pizzeria populated by animatronics. Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike Schmidt, a down-on-his-luck security guard who takes a job at the abandoned pizzeria so that his odds of keeping custody of his sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), improve. It becomes clear that Fazbear’s, and its proprietor, William Afton (Matthew Lillard), are tied to the disappearance and murder of several 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren — as well as what happened to Mike’s brother Garret before FNAF. Ultimately, all of this sets up an exciting sequel premise.