FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S’ crossed $150M at the worldwide box offices.
The movie helms a $25M budget. Welcome back to a slightly shorter edition of What I’m Hearing (I hear your feedback!) on this optimistic Sunday night. The SAG-AFTRA talks made progress on Friday and over this weekend, I’m told, with many of the financial issues resolved. A.I. and a few other matters are still outstanding, but—and I really hope I don’t regret saying this—I’d be surprised if the strike isn’t over by the end of the week. Ugh, I said it…
Backed by Blumhouse, perhaps the most popular studio name in modern horror, with the heavy involvement of FNaF creator Scott Cawthon as producer and co-writer, all signs point to Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) being a sure-fire hit.
Although this can already be said for its profits, it is sadly not the same case in terms of its quality. Before you get the tomatoes out to throw at a critic who might just not “get” FNaF like you do, hear me out! For those fans who’ve waited a long time to see Freddy Fazbear fully realized on the big screen, wouldn’t it be somewhat disappointing to finally get a FNaF movie and have it be nowhere near as scary (or even entertaining) as the games? Adjust your expectations because Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s prioritizes appealing to general audiences of all ages over capturing the franchise’s true scare factor.
After years of development hell, the beloved Five Nights at Freddy’s video game franchise finally gets the big-screen treatment via Blumhouse. The anticipation for this movie adaptation, in particular, has been unlike any other, with producer Jason Blum claiming that the film has already made back more than its $25 million production budget before its release from its streaming and theatrical distribution rights alone. This isn’t so shocking given how insanely popular FNaF is. Regardless of whether you’ve played the games or not, it’s incredibly hard not to at least recognize Freddy Fazbear and his fellow animatronics given the IP’s intense branding and rabid fandom. Any moderate amount of time spent on the internet will have you exposed to viral FNaF memes, songs, cosplays, and more. Heck, anyone who’s ever been on YouTube has probably come across Markiplier or MatPat’s FNaF videos. The list goes on.