The Real Reason The Five Nights At Freddy's Movie Was Delayed

Sometimes an idea comes along that's so good it becomes a phenomenon almost immediately. This was definitely the case with "Five Nights at Freddy's," the nerve-shredding horror game that sees you checking security cameras from the safety of your monitoring room, only to see the animatronics coming to life at the Chuck E. Cheese-like restaurant you're overseeing.

If you've ever been creeped out by the dead eyes of animatronics, "Five Nights at Freddy's" lets you know that you're not alone. Naturally, with its penchant for jump scares, the series became great fodder for streamers, whose fans delighted at watching them scream as they ultimately succumbed to the sentient animatronic creatures.

Of course, this popularity also led to plenty of talk about a possible movie version of "Five Nights at Freddy's." While we know that one is finally on the way, the main reason it took so long is that Scott Cawthon, who created the game series, really wanted to make sure that the story they were telling fit with his vision of what a movie should look like. As noted by Variety, he explained as much on the forums for the "Five Nights at Freddy's" series, speaking directly to fans about the movie back in 2018. "OK, guys, I had a script written; Jason [Blum] liked it, and Chris Columbus liked it too, but I tossed it," he said. "I had a different idea for it, one that I liked better. I take responsibility for this delay; it's my fault."

As Scott Cawthon mentioned, Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions has been attached to the project for some time. Many fans likely know Blum's work thanks to the studio's vast catalog of horror content. While Chris Columbus was once attached to direct, he has since left the project, and the upcoming film will be instead directed by Emma Tammi, with a script written by Tammi, Cawthon, and Seth Cuddeback.

"I'm determined to find the right story. I'm sticking to what I've always said, either the right movie gets made, or no movie gets made," the "Five Nights at Freddy's" creator explained. "I hate delaying a project that's already seen so many delays, but I have to go with my instincts on what I think will be exciting and interesting and what I think the fanbase will really want to see."

Despite these delays, fans can likely take a bit of comfort in the fact that Cawthon has been so diligent about protecting the legacy of his horror series. Hopefully, this means that "Five Nights at Freddy's" will deliver for fans in spades during its simultaneous theatrical and Peacock premiere on October 27, 2023.