Blumhouse has announced that the long-awaited Five Nights at Freddy's movie will finally begin filming in February. The project has had a somewhat troubled production, but it's now got itself a new director, which, along with the involvement of an iconic special effects company, should spell good things for the movie.
Speaking via Twitter, Blumhouse head Jason Blum confirmed yesterday that the FNAF movie starts filming in February 2023, and that it's acquired a new director in the form of The Wind director Emma Tammi. The movie's animatronics and creature effects will be handled by the iconic Jim Henson's Creature Shop, so if you're a fan of the franchise, you can rest assured your favorite characters are in good hands.
Here's what we know about the movie so far. Warner Bros acquired the rights to do a film on the franchise in 2015, with Blumhouse joining as the production company in 2017. Work on the movie stalled, but franchise creator Scott Cawthon confirmed in late 2020 that the team had decided on a script and that filming would start in the following spring.
Naturally, this didn't happen, with Blumhouse's Jason Blum revealing that the movie had hit script problems and that its originally slated director, Chris Columbus, wasn't attached to the project anymore. Now, it looks like things are back on track, with Tammi in the director's chair and a concrete month for filming having been declared. We'll have to wait and see if the FNAF movie gets hit with any further setbacks.
Meanwhile, the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise continues
The Five Nights at Freddy's franchise is still moving full steam ahead, even though creator Scott Cawthon retired back in mid-2021 (surrounded by a considerable degree of controversy, no less). Although no new mainline games are planned at present, a host of spinoff games and media are in the works, including an "officially licensed" reimagining of the original Five Nights at Freddy's.
FNAF isn't the only horror franchise, indie or otherwise, to be making its way to the big screen, either. Recently, DreadXP confirmed it's working on a movie adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant, and there's also apparently a Days Gone movie on the way, so there's plenty to look forward to if you're a horror aficionado.
It remains to be seen whether any official mainline Five Nights at Freddy's games will be created in Cawthon's absence, although he's clearly still close to the franchise given his involvement with the movie. Watch this space for any more news about FNAF, whether it be movie or game-related.
