Five Nights at Freddy’s 2star Matthew Lillard teases a third installment, making some bold promises about what he will do if it happens. While theFive Nights at Freddy’s 2trailergave audiences their first terrifying look at the horror sequel, which hits theaters June 09, 2025, starring Lillard, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, and Skeet Ulrich, anticipation is already brewing forFive Nights at Freddy’s 3.
The first movie became a surprise box office success in 2023, and the sequel will continue the story with even more animatronics with new and returning characters. AtSan Diego Comic-Con2025, it was teased that if the sequel performs well, a third movie could be on the way, with Lillard’s character, William Afton, ready to get even darker.
During theFive Nights at Freddy’s 2panel at SDCC, whereScreenRantwas in attendance, Lillard and Blumhouse founder Jason Blum gave fans an exciting tease of what could come next.
The pair said that ifFive Nights at Freddy’s 2is a box office hit, a third film would definitely be in the cards, with Lillard teasing a particularly bloodthirsty fate for Hutcherson’s Mike. Read their full comments below:
Matthew Lillard:“If it’s a hit, they’re gonna make a third movie, and if they make a third movie, I get to kill Mike Schmidt… it’s going to be cinematic magic.”
Jason Blum:“If enough people go… we’d be very excited to make a Five Nights at Freddy’s 3.”
What This Means For The Five Nights At Freddy’s Franchise
A Third Movie Could Complete William Afton’s Twisted Story
Lillard’s comments hint at a deeper narrative development for the franchise. After surviving the events of the first film,Hutcherson’s Mike Schmidt returns inFive Nights at Freddy’s 2, likely with higher stakes and closer confrontations with Afton. Whilea thirdFNAFmovie hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, Blum and Lillard’s comments show that momentum is building.
Lillard’s comments about killing Mike are fitting. In the game canon,Mike dies between the firstFNAFandFNAF 3, with the third installment implying he’s already dead. However, since Hutcherson’s character has been pivotal to the film adaptations, it’s unlikely he’ll die offscreen, meaning his death,if it happens, would need to be a major on-screen event. Whether that happens will depend heavily on the directionFNAF 2takes.
Universal and Blumhouse have already been teasing long-term plans for the franchise, and although the films loosely adapt the video game’s lore rather than directly following it, the trailer revealed thatFive Nights at Freddy’scharacter, The Puppet, will appear in the sequel, making it clear that the franchise is building something bigger.
Our Take On Five Nights At Freddy’s 3
It Could Be The Most Unhinged Chapter Yet
The2023Five Nights at Freddy’sfilmwas a surprise box office hit, and everything about the sequel, from the trailer to SDCC’s rowdy reception, suggests thatFive Nights at Freddy’s 2is poised to top it. Lillard’s chaotic energy continues to be a highlight of the franchise, and his promise of a Mike Schmidt kill teases just how unhinged things could get if a third film happens.
If Blumhouse is going full franchise mode, this could be the perfect opportunity to lean into the most gruesome and game-accurate elements.
Considering how the film franchise is building its own canon alongside the game’s original, Mike’s potential death could raise the stakes and deepen the lore, giving Lillard’s William Afton a horrifying moment of triumph. If Blumhouse is going full franchise mode, this could be the perfect opportunity to lean into the most gruesome and game-accurate elements.
