Five Nights at Freddy's 2 Director Emma Tammi Felt the Pressure—Now She Promises a Special Sequel Packed With Surprises

The first Five Nights at Freddy's movie blindsided everyone in 2023. Huge audience, huge turnout, way bigger than expected. Which is great for Blumhouse, and also exactly the sort of thing that gives a director heartburn. Emma Tammi admits the bar is high for Five Nights at Freddy's 2, but she sounds confident they pushed the story forward without losing the flavor fans came for.

Where the sequel picks up

The new film takes place one year after the first. We catch up with Mike, his little sister Abby, and Vanessa — who, yes, is the daughter of infamous child killer William Afton. The trio is still trying to process what went down at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, where Afton tried to kill them and ended up dead himself. That's the headspace going in.

What the trailer gives away (without spoiling the whole thing)

• A kitschy carnival event called Fazz Fest
• Flashbacks to Vanessa's childhood
• A team of paranormal investigators poking around
• New takes on the animatronics: Toy and Withered versions of Freddy, Bonnie, Foxy, and Chica (and maybe more), pulled straight from the games

Yes, it's made for fans — but not only for fans

Tammi says the mandate was to expand the world and deliver surprises while keeping the bigger picture in mind so newcomers can still lock in. Translation: you don't need to have every lore thread memorized to follow what's happening.

"It's scarier than the first, more jump scares, it's darker. You go deeper into the psychology of the characters. You don't need to be a super fan of the FNaF world. If you are, you get some bonus stuff, which is very cool."

— Josh Hutcherson

Fan candy, curated

For the Fazbear faithful, the sequel is still loaded with Easter eggs and left-field reveals. Tammi worked closely with series creator Scott Cawthon on what to prioritize for the fan base, which is a polite way of saying the deep cuts were very much intentional.

The pressure after a monster hit

After the first movie's massive reception, Tammi says, yes, the sequel came with added pressure. The goal this time: make it bigger and bolder, keep the familiar pieces that worked, and stack it with surprises. Blumhouse is doing the usual tight-lipped routine on specifics, but based on what we have seen, they're not playing it safe.

Release date

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 hits screens on December 5.