As new movie trailers flood in, they ignite passionate discussions throughout the Thunderbird campus. When students took a survey, one film stood out above all others.
In a world where children’s entertainment turns deadly, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 emerges as Thunderbird’s most anticipated movie for 2025. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will be a continuation of the horrifying animatronic movie that transforms its popular video game’s virtual scares into real-life terror. In the game, players take on the role of a night guard who must survive five nights at a pizzeria while facing haunting animatronics that come to life after dark. The story unfolds through each game, revealing an unsettling history involving murder, haunting souls. The franchise explores the evil mastermind behind it all, William Afton, and is known for its jump scares, unsettling atmosphere, and phenomenal lore.
Building on this foundation, Five Nights at Freddy’s the movie introduces Mike Schmidt, a night guard seeking answers about the pizzeria’s dark and deadly history. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, the upcoming prequel, will follow the story of the security guard who came before Schmidt, Jeremy Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald’s story will unravel at a different location where the animatronics are even more deadly. Fan favorites are introduced: The Puppet, who creeps inside a music box; Toy Animatronics that deceive the minds of the audience; and Withered Animatronics with decayed designs. According to Screen Rant, this chapter will show us the truth of Afton’s murderous legacy, expanding on the chilling events that began in the first film.
The storyline is altered from the games to enhance the cinematic experience. If developers copied the game exactly, we’d just watch a security guard sitting in an office trying to maintain distance from the animatronics. However, the movie brings a storyline while trying to survive the nights by showing the guard’s story and connecting his personal experiences back to the pizzeria. Sophomore Caydyn Sorbellini expresses that he believes Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will succeed even with story changes, as the first movie proved that a different storyline could work well.
What remains the same is the movie’s age rating. According to CBR, “The film is staying within the PG rating but will try to deliver more fright overall.” Its scary element will be dimmed and censored so that younger audiences can enjoy it. This sparked some controversy in the fandom. Sophomore Kassandra Mejia claims, “I wasn’t even a little scared. Five Nights at Freddy’s is meant to be a horror story and should be portrayed as such.” The game’s success was sparked by its dark themes and genuine scares; dimming the fright leaves many fans slightly disappointed.
Despite the film adaptation changing some game elements, the movie brings a sense of nostalgia and excitement for original fans while allowing newer audiences to enjoy a captivating plot. Seeing familiar scenes and characters will further the engagement of the audience and portray cinematic glory. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will be released on December 5th, 2025, and will most certainly be a success.
