In early 2014, Scott Cawthon hit a block. None of his previously made games were selling or being reviewed well, and his drive to create was waning. After his most recent game had received especially negative reviews, he resolved to create a horrifying masterpiece as a last shot at game development. Over the next 6 months, he worked tirelessly on creating what would become one of the most iconic horror games in recent years. All throughout August 2014, Five Nights at Freddy’s would hit the digital shelves. Miraculously, the game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, many reviewers and critics praising the game for how it created tension and fear without using more cliche methods like excessive gore. The game would go on to see many “let’s play”ers, theorists and casual fans from all over the world, and it gave Cawthon enough funding and inspiration to keep adding on to the game. Over the course of the next few years, many more games would come out, leaving the franchise with a whopping nine games and a book series. In 2017, Blumhouse Productions would get the rights to begin making a movie based off of the game, much to the delight of the fans.

In March 2017, Cawthon released a teaser of a directing chair with the name “Freddy”  printed across the back with the Blumhouse Productions logo projected onto a screen in the background, implying a production was in the works. This was confirmed two months later, when Jason Blum mentioned his excitement at working so closely with Cawthon. In February 2018, it was announced Chris Columbus would be the director for the movie. However, at some point during production, he would be replaced by Emma Tammi. The script’s first draft was completed in August 2018, and the film was set for a 2020 release, but the script would later be completely scrapped. Over the following years, the production team would burn through a few different versions of the script, leaving the release date for the movie unknown. In October, Blum confirmed filming would begin in February 2023, along with three character descriptions for characters Mike Schmidt, Abby Schmidt, and Vannessa Shelly, posted by Geek Vibes Nation. Over the next few months, many of the actors and their roles would be revealed by way of official announcements or unofficial leaks, including Matthew Lillard as William Afton and Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt.

Filming began on February 1, 2023, and would be completed on April 3, 2023. Two days later, Blum announced that the movie would hit theaters on October 27, 2023. On May 16, 2023, not only was the first poster, along with four individual posters tweeted out, but the first official teaser trailer was also posted to both the Blumhouse Productions Twitter and YouTube. The next two trailers would be released on July 27 and August 30 respectively. Along with all the teasers and trailers, an official synopsis was released, summarizing the movie as follows: “A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realizes that the night shift won’t be so easy to get through. Pretty soon he will unveil what actually happened at Freddy’s” (IMDb). It’s seemingly following an altered version of the game’s plot, with an extended cast of characters and more of a backstory to the quirky and unique scenario our main character finds himself in.

Reception to the film has been mixed, fans and detractors alike praising and critiquing various points of the trailers. Many fans believe that some flaws they see means the movie will deviate too far from the lore of the games, and are expressing disappointment. A good example of this is the glowing red eyes shown in the posters. Many people online have criticized this choice, pointing out the cliche nature of the design of the eyes; others have made jokes about the animatronics looking like they are under the influence of drugs. Detractors of the movie point out that, despite the rather large budget for the movie, it is up in the air as to whether or not the final product will be satisfactory. As with any piece of media, for every critic is a defender, and due to the popularity of the franchise, it is comparable to an internet army. They cite the casting as a reason to trust that the film will be at least decent, crediting Matthew Lillard for his previous role as Stu Macher in 1996 horror film Scream. Despite the differing views, and extremists on each side, arguments have been kept to a minimum, most people agreeing to wait for the movie’s release to determine if it lives up to the high expectation set by fans.

As October 27 creeps closer, anticipation is rising. Analysis videos, TikToks, fan art, and more are being made everyday leading up to the movie’s release. Multiple celebrities, both internet and regular, have already posted on social media showing support and excitement for the movie, which only excited fans even more. There are still some people showing worry for the script, set and effects, and overall final product, but most are trying to keep an optimistic attitude. No matter the long journey it was, filled with rejected ideas and delays at every turn, everyone is strapped in and ready to be taken on a nostalgic yet spooky ride.