Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 gets a promising update from star who says the sequel will be "bigger" and "scarier" than the first

Five Nights At Freddy's
(Image credit: Universal)

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will start filming at the end of October, but before cameras have even started rolling, star Josh Hutcherson has already promised that the sequel will be bigger and even scarier than the first installment. 

"It’s much bigger, the stakes are higher," said Hutcherson in an interview with Esquire. "There’s more animatronics being brought in, different animatronics being brought in, and the world just opens up in a big way. I think the fans are gonna flip for it. It’s gonna be a lot of fun with the source. It’s gonna be scarier, too, actually."

The world in which the star is talking about is of course the Five Nights at Freddy’s universe based on the widely popular video game franchise of the same name. The first Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is based on the lore of the first game, and from what we have seen so far, it looks like Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will follow the same type of storyline as the second game, also named Five Nights at Freddy's 2. 

Earlier this year, the studio teased the sequel with some behind-the-scenes images from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop where the animatronic villains from the first movie were crafted. The pictures show a drawing that looks a lot like a character named Mangle from the second game. On top of this, in honor of the video game franchise’s 10th anniversary, ScottGames baited fans by releasing four script excerpts for the sequel, with only one of them being the real thing. Funnily enough though, one of these scripts was set in a key location from the second game – the carousel. Coincidence? We think not. 

But, as we know from the first movie, what we see on screen isn't exactly like what plays out in the games. Hutcherson added later in the interview that one goal for him going into this project was to expand the world of the games, but still make the characters stay "grounded." The star continued: "That’s something that I really think that we all fought for in the first film, because this world that was created in Five Nights at Freddy’s, it’s so out there. It’s so over-the-top and wacky."

At this point, we know that Hutcherson will reprise his role in the upcoming movie and that Emma Tammi is back in the directing chair. However, a wider cast list is yet to be revealed. 

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 hits theaters on December 5, 2025. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies of all time, or keep up with upcoming horror movies heading your way this year and beyond. 

Editorial Associate, 12DOVE

I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.