As anticipation grows for its long-awaited arrival, Jason Blum opens up on the pushback he received for trying to make the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. The horror project is based on the long-running video game franchise of the same name, centered on a night security guard at the eponymous family entertainment center who realizes the animatronics are possessed by the ghosts of murdered children. Josh Hutcherson is leading the cast of Five Nights at Freddy‘s alongside Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio and Mary Stuart Masterson.
During a recent interview with IGN, Jason Blum looked back on the long journey to bring Five Nights at Freddy’s to life as a movie. The celebrated horror producer revealed that he frequently received pushback for his efforts, even from his own staff, many of whom didn’t believe he could actually pull it off. Check out what Blum shared below:
Everyone said we could never get the movie done, including, by the way, internally in my company. I was made fun of for pursuing this, this thing that could never happen, and that always lights a fire under me to say, ‘I bet I can do this.’
Why Blum’s Dedication Is A Promising Sign For FNAF
Though the indie studio may have been behind the majority of the movie’s development, Blumhouse nearly wasn’t the first choice for the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, with Warner Bros. having acquired the rights to the horror game in 2015. The studio behind The Conjuring Universe and multiple Stephen King adaptations worked for two years to bring the movie to life, with future Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-writer Gil Kenan signing on to direct and co-write with future Child’s Play remake writer Tyler Burton Smith.
Ultimately, franchise creator Scott Cawthon would partner with Blumhouse to produce a Five Nights at Freddy’s movie in 2017, and while the elongated development may have scored skepticism from both fans of the game and Blum’s own staff, the producer’s dedication to making it happen may ultimately prove better for the movie. Despite the seemingly simple premise of its source material, Blum clearly recognized the potential of the game’s scares and expansive lore to want to push forward with the adaptation.
Those who loved the games have also proven Blum’s efforts to be promising, with both the Five Nights at Freddy’s trailer leak and official release scoring widespread acclaim from fans of the source material. With Blum also enlisting Cawthon to co-write the script with director Emma Tammi rather than act as a creative consultant and producer, this dedication to staying true to the games seems primed to both continue the video game adaptation win streak and deliver an appropriately chilling horror outing.
Source: IGN
