Matthew Lillard Has Disappointing ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ News

The following contains spoilers for Five Nights at Freddy’s.Five Nights at Freddy’s star Matthew Lillard has offered some advance info on his role in the highly anticipated sequel to the horror hit, and revealed something that fans definitely won’t like. The Scream veteran will return in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 to play William Afton, but don’t expect to see much of him — at least for now.

The actor recently spoke to Coming Soon to promote the release of the film, which will arrive exclusively in theaters this December 5. Though he shared the disappointing news that his character isn’t heavily featured in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, he also revealed that the plan is to make three movies.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is set one year after the events of the first film, with Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Lillard reprising their roles from the original. But while screenwriter and franchise mastermind Scott Cawthon found a way to bring back William Afton for the sequel, Lillard admitted that he doesn’t appear “a lot” in the film:

“Don’t hold your breath to seeing a lot of William Afton [in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2]. Like Star Wars or like Harry Potter, Voldemort or Darth Vader, they both sort of show up later in the series. So, unfortunately for me, I don’t have a huge part in it. I do think the stuff I get to do is fantastic. I love it. Our hope is that we get to do three films. That’s always been the plan. Everything is dependent on how the movie does in theaters.”

Is ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 3’ Coming? Apparently, It All Depends on the Fans

an animatronic bear in five nights at freddy’s 2Universal Pictures

The first Five Nights at Freddy’s was a massive hit when it premiered in 2023. Although the COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected the way audiences attended theaters, and schedules tilted more toward a streaming model, Universal sent the film to theaters for a wide release. It also premiered on Peacock simultaneously. But as bad as that sounds in terms of box office earnings, the video game adaptation was a game-changer.

Even though it was sent to streaming the same day it premiered in theaters, Five Nights at Freddy’s was a box office triumph, all thanks to the fans who flocked to buy tickets. The film grossed more than $297 million against its modest $20 million budget, and despite the negative critical reception, it was seen as a win for Blumhouse Productions. Obviously, Jason Blum quickly began thinking of a sequel.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will do its best to replicate the success of the first film. While it’s unlikely that it surpasses the original, anything could happen, as the franchise still has a very strong following. This time, it won’t be on Peacock right away; audiences will simply have to go to the theater. Lillard says Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 is a possibility as long as people go to theaters:

“We’ll get that final Harry Potter vs. Voldemort or Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader [in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3]. That’s our hope. Within that, we’ll get to do that and explore more. For now, we’ve got a long way to go; we’ve got to get people into the theaters.”

Release Date

December 5, 2025

Director

Emma Tammi

Writers

Scott Cawthon

Prequel(s)

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Franchise(s)

Five Nights at Freddy’s

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