It’s no secret that Jason Blum has been trying for years to get his hands on the Five Nights At Freddy’s franchise. Five Nights has attracted a cult-like following ever since its inception and release back in 2014. Created by Scott Cawthon, there have been numerous sequels of the game, and it’s become a merchandise juggernaut worldwide. It’s been a few years, but Blum got his wish, and he’s finally bringing Freddy’s to not just theaters but also Peacock at the same time on October 27th.

We spoke with Five Night’s director, Emma Tammi at this year’s New York Comic Con and you can tell off the bat she was the perfect choice to direct.

Staying true to the game

THS:  How do you approach a franchise that is so invested in the lore who may have unrealistic expectations of how much will be put in the film?

Emma Tammy: Oh, you know, we were so fortunate to be collaborating with Scott Cawthon on this. And he was very specific when I came on that, look, we’re not trying to pull in everything. We’re going to focus on the first one. Of course, there are elements that cross over a little bit that are brought in, but that gave me, I think, both the confidence to just really tackle what we had decided to focus on and not getting mired down by an enormous world. Which, of course, we can never tackle in one film.

(from left) Foxy, Chica, Freddy Fazbear and Bonnie in Five Nights at Freddy’s, directed by Emma Tammi.
Photo Credit: Patti Perret/Universal Pictures

Possible spin-offs or sequels?

THS: Now, does that give you the opportunity to think about maybe expanding the series, maybe doing more different films since there’s been different iterations of the game?

Emma Tammy: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that’s really interesting. I think I know that there’s so much there. I really love the characters that we built down in the movie as well. So, I feel like they’ve got legs to, you know, move into additional films. If we should be so lucky, we just have to go to those first

(from left) Freddy Fazbear and director Emma Tammi on the set of Five Nights at Freddy’s
Photo Credit: Patti Perret/Universal Pictures

Working with the best production company around

THS: What was it like working with Jason? Because I’ve spoke to a few people this week about this. And they said the freedom is so refreshing. You’re not clamped down, and not worried about this or that. You just do your thing.

Emma Tammy: They’re so supportive of filmmakers and also supportive of taking risks. I think one thing that Jason and the whole Blumhouse team really knew was like Anap is this very unique entity, animal, in and of itself. And like it needed something so specific and new, including like the animatronics in collaboration with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. So, there were these elements that were a little bit out of the wheelhouse of, you know, Blumhouse films that had come before. And that was so embraced. Like, yes, let’s try the new thing. Let’s do whatever this movie needs.

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S, from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse in association with Striker Entertainment.
Patti Perret/Universal Pictures

Film Synopsis

Can you survive five nights?

The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event, as Blumhouse— the producer of M3GAN, The Black Phone, and The Invisible Man— brings Five Nights at Freddy’s to the big screen.

The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.

The film stars Josh Hutcherson (Ultraman, The Hunger Games franchise), Elizabeth Lail (You, Mack & Rita), Piper Rubio (Holly & Ivy, Unstable), Kat Conner Sterling (We Have a Ghost, 9-1-1), with Mary Stuart Masterson (Blindspot, Fried Green Tomatoes) and Matthew Lillard (Good Girls, Scream).

Five Nights at Freddy’s is directed by Emma Tammi (The Wind, Blood Moon) and is written by Scott Cawthon, Emma Tammi, and Seth Cuddeback.

The film’s iconic animatronic characters will be created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Five Nights at Freddy’s is produced by Jason Blum and Scott Cawthon. The film’s executive producers are Bea Sequeira, Russell Binder, Marc Mostman and Christopher H. Warner. Universal Pictures presents a Blumhouse production, in association with Striker Entertainment.

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