Five Nights at Freddy's Movie Delayed, New Script in the Works
Looks like we’ll have to wait just a tad longer for that Five Nights at Freddy’s movie.
Last February, Blumhouse made headlines by announcing Scott Cawthon’s online video game sensation - Five Nights at Freddy's - was poised to hit the the big screen with Academy Award nominee Chris Columbus tapped to write and direct!
This week, we have news that Columbus' script has been ditched in favor of a new script written by the game's creator, Scott Cawthon. Variety first broke the news after Cawthon dropped the not-so-subtle update in a forum post to fans:
❝ OK guys, I had a script written; Jason liked it, and Chris Columbus liked it too, but I tossed it,” he wrote. “I had a different idea for it, one that I liked better. I take responsibility for this delay; it’s my fault. ❞
Additionally, Cawthon reveals himself to be a perfectionist - and rightly so - when it comes to adapting his IP. Though he never states it outright, it's apparent Columbus' vision just didn't match what he feels needs to excite and interest his fanbase:
❝ I hate delaying a project that’s already seen so many delays, but I have to go with my instincts on what I think will be exciting and interesting, and what I think the fanbase will really want to see. If that means that I have to start over ten more times, then that’s what I’m going to do. The good thing is that each attempt gets better and better, in my opinion. So, despite the delays, it’s going in the right direction. ❞
Plans were to base the film on the first video game that centers around a fictional online pizza restaurant called “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza”. In the game, players must survive their shift as a security guard, defending themselves from the malfunctioning, haunted animatronic characters by tracking their movement through the facility using security cameras.
I mean, to Cawthon's credit, this is a wicked concept. But as a fan of Gremlins and The Goonies, I am sorta bummed we'll never know what Columbus originally had in store. Hopefully Cawthon will settle on the right screenplay.
For now, we'll file this one under shelved until further notice.
