There’s a huge wave of fan-driven anticipation that makes the upcoming 2025 movie Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 a hotly anticipated horror sequel. However, there’s also those who saw the previous entry in the Blumhouse and got amped up over horror legend Matthew Lillard’s appearance as infamous series villain William Afton. Those folks are about to become even more excitable, as I got the The Life of Chuck star to share what he could say about this secretive project.
Fulfilling the promise that he’ll “always come back,” Lillard’s recent tease about Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 start date had me eager to ask him about what fans should expect. Going into our recent interview on behalf of Macabre Spirits’ new tequila, I knew that there wasn’t going to be much he could say about this upcoming Blumhouse movie.
Having said that, Matthew Lillard is a crafty person, both in acting and in creative pursuits. So with the brief to be as vague as he wanted, CinemaBlend was able to obtain the following Five Nights At Freddy’s sequel tease:
I'm trying to figure out the balance with this question. … 'Improved.'
Matthew Lillard, CinemaBlend
As someone who saw the first Five Nights at Freddy’s with some friends who were already die-hard fans of the game lore, I think the word “improved” is even more powerful than anyone could imagine. Upon its debut in October 2023 director Emma Tammi’s Blumhouse produced adaptation went on to gross $297.1 million against an estimated $20 million production budget.
Even one of our own resident FNAF veterans Alexandra Ramos showed a lot of love in a list of how Five Nights at Freddy’s pleased fans of the games. So to hear the word “improved” already sets the table for some beautiful madness. However, I’m pleased to say that the one word approach worked better than anticipated.
As Matthew Lillard went a bit deeper with his sequel feelings in our conversation, he offered an alternative to his previous singular word choice. Mixing that change up in with more about how series creator Scott Cawthon plays into those feelings, here's what he had to add:
I think Scott really cares deeply about what fans think. And I think that we answered so many of the lore questions in the first film, that I think he's taking that and he's just expanding. ... Maybe that's my word, maybe my word is ‘expanded.’ I think fans are going to lose their mind with this film. I think they're gonna be so excited.
Matthew Lillard, CinemaBlend
As someone who hadn’t played the games, but knew of them before seeing the film, I too enjoyed Five Nights at Freddy’s. Much like Blumhouse’s R-rated adaptation of The Black Phone is a fantastic gateway horror movie, this picture really toes the line between the creepy, unsettling crimes committed by Matthew Lillard’s character. Though in the interest of younger audiences familiar with the game, there’s enough blockbuster fun and creative editing that allows it to stay a PG-13 rated project.
I’m certainly jazzed up for an “improved” and “expanded” sequel, while also hoping that we’ll get to see even more of the mad glee that Lillard brings to his role. We’ll get to see where the next chapter of terror takes us when we return to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which should currently be in production for its December 5, 2025 release date.
Those of you who want to revisit the first film can do so with access to a Prime Video subscription, as that’s the current streaming home for this title. And if you’re 21 or over, you can pre-order Rare, Fine, & Limited Reposado Tequila over at Macabre Spirits, which may or may not be a fantastic option for an original cocktail inspired by that very film.
