The stars of Five Nights at Freddy’s are murderous animatronic mascots – Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy – that come to life after midnight and kill those in their path. Built and designed by The Jim Henson Company, the mascots had to look terrifying and humorous.
Five Nights at Freddy’s director Emma Tammi spoke with Gamesradar+ about the secret behind the animatronic mascots. “They do absolutely need to feel creepy and scary. And definitely weird. But then, you know, they also need to come alive and feel magical at times,” Tammi said. “They’re hilarious and awkward and goofy, too. So it was a challenge trying to find the right blend of all those tones throughout the story.”
The mascots are not CGI. What you see in the film is real animatronics walking around on set. However, working with puppeteers had its challenges. “Our puppeteer team was just incredible,” Tammi said. “But… it’s also like having a load of very high-maintenance cast members on set. And I say high maintenance because there’s only a certain amount of time that the servos can operate before you risk blowing them out!”
What to Expect in Five Nights at Freddy’s?
“The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event, as Blumhouse brings Five Nights at Freddy’s to the big screen,” the official synopsis reads. “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.”
Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike Schmidt, the security guard who makes the chilling discovery that the animatronics come to life at night. Besides Hutcherson, the Five Nights at Freddy’s cast includes Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kate Conner Sterling, Lucas Grant, Jessica Blackmore, and Matthew Lillard.
Tammi directs Five Nights at Freddy’s on a script she co-wrote with Scott Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback. The movie is based on the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series and media franchise created by Cawthon. Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions will produce alongside Cawthon.
Five Nights at Freddy’s will be released simultaneously on Peacock and in theaters on October 27, 2023.
