"Five Nights at Freddy's 2" Teaser: The Horror Franchise Returns with Even Higher Stakes and More Animatronic Mayhem, Starring Josh Hutcherson

Hutcherson is back to face the terror again, with new victims and even more intense scares in this highly anticipated sequel from Blumhouse.

Many were caught off guard by the surprising box office success of Five Nights at Freddy’s.

In October of 2023, the theater business was slowly recovering from the pandemic. Despite following the massive Barbenheimer summer, there hadn’t been much in the way of big hits that resonated with moviegoers. Yet, Five Nights at Freddy’s defied expectations, drawing in audiences and proving that even in a post-pandemic landscape, a strong fanbase and a familiar franchise could still deliver solid box office results.

Now, to be honest, you can count us among the many who were caught off guard by this franchise, having never played the video game it was based on. But one should never count out a horror studio like Blumhouse, as they have proven time and again that they can take a small IP and turn it into a massive hit. Their knack for transforming even the most niche concepts into mainstream successes is undeniable, and Five Nights at Freddy’s is just another example of this.

Fast forward two years later, and Blumhouse is gearing up to see if they can do it again later this year. The studio has dropped the first teaser for the eagerly anticipated sequel to the box-office horror phenomenon that was Five Nights at Freddy’s, starring Josh Hutcherson as security guard Mike Schmidt.

In the first film, Mike managed to survive five nights at a once-popular pizza parlor where animatronic mascots seemingly come to life during the night shift and kill anyone unfortunate enough to be stuck inside. The stakes are higher, and the kills even more intense in this next chapter as Hutcherson's Mike returns to face the terror once more.

Emma Tammi, the director of the first film, returns for the sequel, along with Piper Rubio reprising her role as Mike’s younger sister, Abby, Elizabeth Lail back as Sheriff Vanessa Shelly and Matthew Lillard returning as Shelly’s psychopathic father, William Afton.

Meanwhile, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, Teo Briones, and Skeet Ulrich join the cast, possibly as new victims.

Scott Cawthon, the mastermind behind the Five Nights at Freddy’s survival horror video games and media franchise, is also back to serve as both producer and screenwriter. Surprisingly, Cawthon has a significant amount of control over the film series, working closely with producer Jason Blum to ensure the films stay true to the spirit of the beloved game franchise.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is scheduled to open in theaters nationwide on December 5th. Watch the teaser, above.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

Welcome back! Are you ready to start the show? Anyone can survive five nights. This time, there will be no second chances!

Blumhouse’s box-office horror phenomenon Five Nights at Freddy’s, the highest-grossing horror film of 2023, begins a blood-chilling new chapter of animatronic terror. Based on Scott Cawthon’s blockbuster game series, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is directed by acclaimed returning filmmaker Emma Tammi (The Wind, Blood Moon).

The first film, which opened to a record-shattering $80 million and went on to earn almost $300 million worldwide, followed Mike, a troubled young man who reluctantly takes a job as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, hoping it will help him retain custody of his young sister. That fateful decision instead drags him into the black heart of a supernatural nightmare.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is again produced by Jason Blum (M3GAN, Black Phone, Halloween franchise) and Scott Cawthon.