Naturally, when I finished watching The Beekeeper, I couldn’t help but think about Josh Hutcherson’s other super fun recent flick, Five Nights at Freddy’s. Both feature some wildly creative action and some lethal living weapons too. In the David Ayer film on the 2024 movie schedule, that weapon is obviously Jason Statham, and in the video game adaptation, it’s Freddy Fazbear. So, when I had the chance to chat with Hutcherson about his two movies, I had to ask who of the two was scarier to shoot action with.
Taking my silly question with a good sense of humor, Josh Hutcherson broke down his answer in a logical and fascinating way for CinemaBlend. He revealed that the villain of Five Nights is literally scarier to shoot with, saying:
Freddy, honestly, Freddy's terrifying. He's huge, and dangerous. Even just practically speaking, Jason is so controlled, and that guy is such a pro. Like he's not going to miss, he's not going to throw an errant punch and tag you. Freddy, is as an actor, a stunt actor, inside of an almost seven-foot-tall puppet. It weighs a lot. That thing gets some momentum, it'll take you out, man. So Freddie definitely is a bit on the scarier side.
As you likely know, Jason Statham is a renowned action star who does his own stunts. On top of that, he’s also the best Fast and Furious villain, and I think it’s safe to say you wouldn’t want to be caught in a fight with his Expandables character and his big knives. His character in The Beekeeper is also a badass; he literally beats multiple groups of people in numerous fights throughout the film.
So, considering that, you’d think it might be him. However, as Josh Hutcherson said, Statham is a well-trained action star. He’s calculated and controlled when he works. Meanwhile, the titular villain in the Five Nights at Freddy’s cast is not because of how heavy and massive the puppets are.
I know I was scared watching the big puppets in Five Nights, however, based on The Hunger Games star’s comments, I think being on set with one might be scarier. While the characters aren’t trying to kill anyone on set, like they are in the movie, there’s definitely more risk involved when working with such massive contraptions that fit a stunt actor in them.
Personally, I’d love to see Jason Statham get into a fight with Freddy in some sort of movie – maybe in some wild version of a Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel? However, that, like the question I asked Josh Hutcherson, is quite silly.
Overall, it was so fun to learn about the logistics of shooting intense scenes with one of the best action stars working today, Jason Statham, and the widely cool practical puppets they use on Five Nights. To see both Statham and Freddy in action, you can check out The Beekeeper – which got middling reviews, but has incredible action – in theaters now, and you can stream Five Nights at Freddy’s with a Peacock subscription.
