After nine long years of waiting and hoping, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie was finally released on Oct 27, 2023. Although it was not what most expected, the movie took the internet by storm with strong opinions, criticism, and even rumors about a second and third movie. “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a horror game based in a Chuck E. Cheese-like establishment during night where the haunted animatronics try to get into the night shift security guard office. In order to beat the game you have to successfully survive five nights of the animatronics trying to stuff you into an animatronic suit. 

The fandom behind this game grew immensely and almost immediately, some could even compare its spontaneous and rapid growth to that of the infamous Brony fandom. Immediately there were fan theories, fan art, songs about the game and many more. This prompted the creator of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Scott Cawthon, to make more and more games and expand on the lore well known to be one of the most complex ever created. 

Of course, with huge success comes huge opportunities. Cawthon released plans for a movie in 2015 and fans went wild. Although many  things were still up in the air and due to the games being very complex, it took years and years to come up with a script.  Filming finally began for the movie in February 2023. 

Millions of fans rushed into the box office to see this long-awaited movie. Many people criticized the movie for not being lore accurate and not being scary enough. Before the movie’s release, the PG-13 rating given to the movie angered fans because in order to keep true to the lore the movie would need to be rated R. Although this choice might not be the older and dedicated fans favorite, it allowed the younger fans and people who are not educated on the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise an opportunity to see the movie, and bring in more money. 

Despite the controversy and criticism, Five Nights at Freddy’s managed to break multiple box office records. The movie flew over its $20 million budget, grossing $78 million in its opening weekend, earning third best horror opening weekend of all time. Only It with $123 million in 2017, and It: Chapter 2 in 2019 with $91 million passing it. The movie also earned the biggest horror film opening weekend directed by a woman with the director Emma Tammi. 

Overall, the long-awaited, record-breaking, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie made history and is something horror fans will remember for a lifetime.