Five Nights At Freddy’s 2: Josh Hutcherson on Game Accuracy & Working WithAnimatronics

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Okay, so I just got a little scoop from Josh Hutcherson about the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Apparently, it picks up right after the first movie, and he’s back as Mike Schmidt, the security guard. It sounds like he’s still dealing with the aftermath of those creepy, haunted animatronics at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza – and things aren’t getting any easier for him. Fans of the game can definitely expect more of the same spooky action they loved before, but with a deeper dive into the consequences of what happened in the first film.

The movie stars Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Wayne Knight, McKenna Grace, Skeet Ulrich, and Matthew Lillard. Megan Fox and online creator MatPat provide the voices for the animatronic characters. The story follows Mike and his sister Abby as they become entangled in the dark secrets and past crimes connected to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and its creator, William Afton.

Josh Hutcherson actually wasn’t very familiar with Five Nights at Freddy’s before taking on the movie role. The Five Nights at Freddy’s game series, or FNAF, became hugely popular starting in 2014, largely thanks to videos and theories shared by YouTubers like MatPat and Markiplier. Now, it’s a major entertainment franchise, especially with younger audiences (Gen Z and Gen Alpha). In an interview with Variety, Hutcherson admitted he didn’t realize just how dedicated the Five Nights at Freddy’s fans were when he signed on to the film.

Hutcherson explained that he’s still learning the intricacies of the games, saying, “There are just some rules I don’t quite understand.” However, he emphasized that staying true to the original games was a key goal when creating the sequel. He shared, “We really want to deliver something the Five Nights at Freddy’s fans will love.” He admitted there were moments of confusion—like questioning how certain elements would work—but was quickly reminded that they were directly from the game. Despite the complexity, Hutcherson confirmed he’s excited to be involved, describing the project as “crazy but I’m on board.”

Hutcherson talked about the challenges of using practical animatronics – puppets, wearable suits, and robotic parts – created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop. He explained that Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 had significantly more animatronics than previous installments, with one, named Mangle, requiring a team of 10 to 12 people to control.

Hutcherson described the challenges of filming with the animatronic figures. A stunt performer would turn their head, and then a team of three operators using remote controls had to synchronize the animatronic’s eyes with the blink. It often took around ten takes to get the movement just right. Hutcherson emphasized that when the animatronic finally performed perfectly, the actor needed to deliver a flawless performance too, as that was the take they would use in the final cut.

Hutcherson hinted that the animatronics might escape the pizzeria in the next movie, which he described as a significant development. The sequel, Five Nights At Freddy’s 2, is scheduled to hit theaters on December 5, 2025.

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2025-11-23 23:50