Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 director reveals one reason game fans will be “satisfied” with sequel

Published: Dec 01, 2025, 10:41

Universal Pictures

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is just around the corner, and if you’re a fan of the FnaF games, there’s a lot to be excited about according to director Emma Tammi.

The first movie adaptation of the horror game was a resounding success when it landed in cinemas in October 2023, earning nearly $300 million worldwide against a $20 million budget, making it Blumhouse’s highest-grossing film.

Although it didn’t land in the same way with critics (earning just 33% on Rotten Tomatoes), Five Nights at Freddy’s did an excellent job at adapting the first video game and bringing the Freddy’s Pizzeria animatronics to life – so much so that it was rated 86% by audiences.

The sequel is set to expand on the original’s success, adapting elements of the second FnaF game and introducing fan favorite characters like Mangle and The Puppet, aka Marionette. And that’s not the only reason fans should be excited.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will leave fans “satisfied” with darker tone

In a conversation with Dexerto, director Emma Tammi revealed that Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is much darker than the first movie. “ I think the audiences that maybe wanted the first one to go to scarier places will be really satisfied,” she told us.

“It’s funny, Matthew Lillard saw the movie the other day and he called me and he was like, ‘It’s so scary… Is this still PG-13?’”

Tammi then elaborated on making the age rating (PG-13 in the US and 15 in the UK) work. “We wanted to be inclusive of the younger audiences, and at the same time, we don’t want to limit how dark and scary it can feel for the older audiences,” she explained.

Vanessa and drawing in Five Nights at Freddy's 2

The best Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 Easter egg solves a decade old mystery

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 director says sequel “isn’t for critics”

Freddy peaking out from behind a curtain.

How much Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 needs to make at the box office to break even

“So I think we’ve really aced that on this one… With the game and this one in particular – I’m speaking mostly about FnaF 2, because that was really the game that we were linking this movie to – the jump scares are so effective.

Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa Shelly, Piper Rubio as Abby Schmidt, and Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt in Five Nights at Freddy's 2

“And then just the overall creepy ambience of the space is also so effective. But it’s not a hugely bloody, gory experience. So I actually think that the tone of these films feels very in sync with the games.

“It’s more about the feeling that it gives you than what you are graphically seeing. Of course the frights that the animatronics provide are so incredible, and we’ve tried to maximize those in this as well.”

The filmmaker went on to say that the team made a conscious effort to “incorporate more elements of what would be considered gameplay” in the horror movie sequel. “I think that’ll be fun for fans of the game to recognize,” she added.

Tammi finished by saying, “I’m really hoping the fan base and the people who enjoyed the first movie come out and see the second because I think it might satisfy them even more than the first one.”

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 hits theaters on December 5, 2025. Until then, read about all of the FnaF books and games, all the YouTubers in the first movie, and other films to watch in cinemas this month.