Lillard Teases “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2”

Actor Matthew Lillard has offered an update on the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” sequel which has already been filmed and is due out later this year.

Speaking to Coming Soon this week to promote his new Quest End Druid whiskey, Lillard says “the storytelling’s been amped up a lot”. This has resulted in a higher spend from Blumhouse Pictures, but still a cost-effective one:

“I don’t feel like the budget’s gone through the roof. There are $250 million, $300 million movies out there, $500 million movies. I mean, God knows what Avengers cost, but we are certainly not that. We’re still sort of an independent little horror movie.”

Lillard says the game’s creator Scott Cawthon, who produced and co-wrote the first film, worked again on the sequel’s script and listened to the feedback of fans and other filmgoers about the first film to try and make it better:

“I do think that the movie learned first time around, I think Scott, as a primary storyteller, listened to the audience. [It’s] what he does best. He knows that community so well. And I think that he’s responded with a script that… maybe it has more jump scares. Maybe it’s a little more action-packed. I don’t know. I’m not here to say ‘yes it is’, or ‘no it’s not.’ But I do think the fans are gonna love this next movie, and I think that they’re gonna be really excited come December.”

The first film received generally negative reviews but was a major hit – grossing $297 million to become Blumhouse’s highest-grossing film to date. It also set streaming records for Peacock where it simultaneously premiered.

Josh Hutcherson returns along with the signature animatronic mascots who are possessed by homicidal children in the story. Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio and Lillard co-star while Emma Tammi directs and co-writes.

“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” opens December 5th.