Ready for round two? Freddy Fazbear and his maniacal gang of animatronic pals are back to play and slay and they’re bringing with them Freddy Carter Blumhouse/Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.
The Masters of the Air thespian’s casting was confirmed today in a clip shown during the pic’s Hall H San Diego Comic-Con presentation.
Fans have speculated that Carter will play Jeremy Fitzgerald, who is the former security guard from the second game. In the clip, Carter’s character, an eerie security guard dude, gives a tour to young teens of the spooky animatronic characters in the pizza place.
The sequel follows the aftermath of William Afton (Lillard) being exposed as a serial killer, which left him spring-locked and mangled inside the Bonnie suit. Mike (Hutcherson) and Vanessa (Lail), are now on the hunt for more cursed animatronics.
Carter joins the previously announced cast of Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Theodus Crane, Wayne Knight, McKenna Grace, with Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard. The pic’s original director Emma Tammi is also back. The videogame’s architect Scott Cawthon is adapting his own game for the big screen.
Lillard wasn’t here in San Diego but beamed in via video and encouraged everyone to go see the movie in a theater (the movie is going full theatrical unlike the 2023 original which was day-and-date on Peacock and theaters). “If you go see it, they’ll make a third one!” beamed Lillard who then introduced his former Scream colleague Ulrich to the stage.
“I’m happy to be a part of a family that’s really voracious,” Ulrich said. While his part still remains a mystery, the actor teased that his character is “somebody who has a deep emotional tie to what’s going on.” Online speculation has theorized that he’s robotics expert Henry Emily, one of the co-founders of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza; a former friend and business partner to Lilard’s Afton. If that’s the case, it’s a tongue in cheek nod to the pair’s reuniting since starring in Scream.
Producer Jason Blum said that despite their excitement for the first film before it came out, they didn’t crack development on part 2 until they knew the original was a success. It was becoming one of the most successful day-and-date movies of all time with a staggering $291 million worldwide gross next to Dune ($410.7M WW) and Godzilla vs Kong ($470M WW). Five Nights at Freddy’s was the highest-grossing horror film of 2023. It also scored Peacock viewing records at the time.
“That’s bad luck,” said Blum. “I really encourage the creative partners no matter how confident we are about the first movie to start thinking of a second movie before the first one comes out; or else the first movie suffers.”
A fan asked if there would be a Five Night’s at Freddy’s Security Breach movie. Blum answered by expressing his hope for a threequel.
Jason Blum and Cawthon are producers on the film. Tammi, Beatriz Sequeira, Christopher Warner, Russell Binder and Marc Mostman are Executive Producers.
Carter recently appeared in the Buccaneer/Paramount+ series The Doll Factory. He broke out in the role of Kaz Brekker in the Netflix / 21 Laps hit Shadow and Bone over two seasons. Freddy made his professional screen debut in the international hit series Free Rein. The actor is repped by by Conway Van Gelder Grant, Authentic Talent and Literary Management and Ziffren Brittenham LLP.
The movie hits theaters on Dec. 5.
