Video game developer Scott Cawthon birthed a pop-culture phenomenon with his survival horror franchise Five Nights at Freddy’s. Cawthon’s evil Chuck E. Cheese reinvention is internet famous, especially captivating children who anxiously watch YouTube playthroughs, own Freddy Fazbear Funko Pop! dolls, and spread the restaurant mascot’s legacy across the internet. It’s younger audiences keeping Five Nights at Freddy’s relevant, just like the younger audiences that Blumhouse targets with its family-oriented PG-13 production. Director Emma Tammi treats Freddy’s Hollywood debut as a gateway not only for horror fans to experience Five Nights at Freddy’s, but for peewee video game fans dipping their toes into spooky cinema — maybe even for the first time.
