Movie fans who enjoy horror thrills centered around a cursed pizzeria/arcade combo are obviously excited for the upcoming 2025 movie Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. With production underway, star Matthew Lillard’s vague tease for this Blumhouse sequel showed how much he’s allowed to say about what’s ahead, which is still just enough to get people pumped.
However he did have some fun insight into why his big bad busted out an iconic Scream move he pulled off almost 30 years ago in the first Five Nights at Freddy’s picture. I have to wonder what he might do for an unintentional encore, as Lillard admitted he was in a “manic state” that inspired this clever callback.
I was able to talk to the man some folks would recognize as Wiliam Afton from Blumhouse’s sleeper 2023 box office hit, and that question was sitting on my mind with great importance. Sitting virtual face to face with Matthew Lillard, who was promoting his upcoming “Rare, Fine, & Limited” tequila with Macabre Spirits, I asked if that particular callback was scripted. The answer to that very question is something that’d probably make his Scream character proud. With that in mind, here’s what Lillard told CinemaBlend about that moment and its creation:
No, it wasn't. It wasn't written. … When you're doing a part like that, you enter this crazy manic state. And so I at some point did the knife swipe … and then Emma [Tammi], the director was like, ‘Do that again. I love that. Do that again.’ So it was a combination of me just in a manic state. doing something I've done before and not thinking about it … and then Emma loved it, so we just did it again.
Matthew Lillard, CinemaBlend
You probably know the Five Nights at Freddy’s moment I’m talking about by now, but if not, here’s a quick rundown. As William Afton (Matthew Lillard), a.k.a. “Springtrap,” prepares to claim a victim in director Emma Tammi’s picture, he busts out a very familiar move with the knife he holds in his hands.
Cleaning the knife of blood in a single swiping action, the muscle memory of the old Lillard Knife Swipe was very much in practice. As you can see in a humorous video meme-ing the situation provided below, fans certainly appreciated the gesture:
I was honestly surprised that I hadn’t made the connection upon watching Five Nights at Freddy’s. The dots just didn’t connect for me at that moment, but once I’d seen a TikTok not too long after enjoying the movie, my mind was blown. Meanwhile, Matthew Lillard is still surprised by the reaction that people had over that very special moment, as he shared in these continued remarks:
And it's funny, it has garnered so much attention. It's not something I ever thought about, do you know what I mean? It's like, I wish I had like this machiavellian [answer], like, ‘Oh, it's a [throwback.]’ It's just dumb instinct that just played again. … The Internet's a magical place.
Matthew Lillard, CinemaBlend
It really is one of the best instances of separating the art from the artist when considering Matthew Lillard. While he has the capacity to play some of the most heinous villains in the horror world, his actual personality is closer to his goofball roles. A gracious participant of the con scene, and a lover of fans in general, his generosity is part of what makes following his career such a delight.
At the same time, seeing how dark Mr. Lillard can go with a particular role is another treat to look forward to when combing the internet for more about everything we know about Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Knowing now that his impressive Scream reflexes are triggered in another “manic state” of filming, I can only anticipate what other sorts of tricks might be up this horror legend’s mechanized suit the next time around.
I mean, you really can’t undersell the fact that not only does Matthew Lillard understand how Five Nights at Freddy’s became a hit, but also he can pull a face of menace this terrifying:
The man is truly a master at his craft, and we’ll get to experience both sides of the Lillard coin in 2025, partially thanks to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 being set to boot up in theaters on December 5th. But don’t forget that Matthew Lillard is also in The Life of Chuck, which is set to hit theaters at some point next summer, which is apparently a very heartbreaking performance waiting in the wings.
If you want to prep for your return to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, then check out the original Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, which is currently streaming for those with a Prime Video subscription. And while I'm not sure how well tequila goes with a large cheese pizza, perhaps you can find out after pre-ordering a bottle of Rare, Fine & Limited Reposado Tequila, courtesy of Macabre Spirits.
