Universal will release the highly anticipated feature film adaptation of the popular video game franchise Five Nights at Freddy’s in theaters and on Peacock next Friday October 27th. At New York Comic Con last week, I spoke with director Emma Tammi about the horror movie starring whacked out animatronic characters at an old family entertainment pizza parlor. Tammi brought them to the screen with the skilled folks at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and through the determination of heavyweight Hollywood producer Jason Blum. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: So what do you love about the look of these characters — of Freddy and his pals?

Emma Tammi: So much. (laughs) I love every single detail. We really wanted to make sure we were making something that we’ve loved completely. We really do. We took the original animatronic designs from the game and really wanted to make sure we were servicing those iconic designs in our 3D renders of making them practical, moving, alive characters. We worked with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to do that. Couldn’t have been a better partnership for making creatures that are unique, weird, lovable at times and totally frightening at other times. These characters are multitudes and they needed to be. The attention to detail and craftsmanship that they put into bringing these characters to life is unparalleled. It was a great experience. I love every detail of them.

JM: You could just tell they were so game for everything and the care they put in. That’s great.

ET: They really were. It’s so funny: going to the Creature Shop, you walk past creatures from “The Dark Crystal”. These elements from my childhood that I remember being thrilling but also a little terrifying. They have quite a great legacy of that.

JM: And now your movie’s gonna be part of that!

ET: Yeah. It’s very cool.

JM: And how did you want to capture the spirit of the game? There have been a lot of video game adaptations lately with animal characters. You have “Mario”, “Angry Birds” and “Sonic”. How did you want to capture that spirit that audiences are gonna feel, especially for fans of the game?

ET: It’s interesting with “FNAF” because the fanbase knows the feeling of Freddy so intimately. We knew we needed to capture that. There was an element here that we were breathing life to in a new way but also that needed to pay homage to what had come before it and feel like, characteristically, “FNAF”. So we were really going for that and pulled in as many references as possible into the space and the production design. Certainly the elements of lore… and the animatronics. We were really trying to create the feeling that fans have around this franchise.

Jackson Murphy with director Emma Tammi

JM: I think the buzz is strong and the film is gonna do really well. I had experiences when I was young of going to a Chuck ‘E Cheese type place. Was there a moment on set that made you think back to anything outrageous from those days?

ET: I think the whole set felt very nostalgic, and it was really evoking that “FNAF” feeling but also deeply nostalgic of an era and a type of family-themed restaurant that a lot of people had experienced. In those places, and certainly on our set, you always see something out of the corner of your eye that feels like a moving part that no one is controlling, or a rogue element that is really unsettling.

JM: I’m friends with Matthew Lillard through a friend. Met him years ago when “The Descendants” came out. Obviously he also voices Shaggy in the “Scooby-Doo” universe. How was it working with him? And clearly, he likes spooky things.

ET: Totally. And I think he really also brings such a huge excitement to… stories that have a huge fanbase built-in already. He’s got kids that are fans of the game. He knew what the stakes were walking into this. He revelled in that. It was an exciting challenge for him. And he was always searching for the ways in which to make this character feel not only completely authentic for the fans but to feel really unique and exceeding the expectations of the fans. In a way, this character had never been fully… brought to life [in this way]. He never phoned it in. He came in everyday hungry to find it and do it together, in terms of… the physicality of his performance. That was a huge component. He was such a pleasure to collaborate with. Brought so much energy.

JM: Good. He’s quite a guy. And so is [producer] Jason Blum. I saw “The Exorcist: Believer”, which I really liked. I can’t wait to watch him on “Shark Tank”. Your collaboration here is strong. He’s making moves left and right, and you’re right there with him.

ET: Totally. It’s very exciting. He has been unshakable in terms of his persistence with this project. Trying to make it the thing that Scott Cawthon, the creator of the game, feels fully supportive of and behind — in trying to pair him with a filmmaker that could bring it to life. They’ve been on the development track for this for quite some time. I felt really privileged to join the group and help bring it to the screen. It had been a journey for them up to that point.

JM: It’s gonna be a big hit. Speaking of hits, horror movies are these days. Every week it seems like we’ve got a new horror movie coming out… this particular year maybe more so than others. What do you think it is about this year or the horror genre that is getting studios and audiences so excited?

ET: Horror films have been having such a moment for the past five-plus years now. It’s a moment that’s lasting, which is so exciting. In general, it’s such a fun genre to go to theaters and watch communally — watch with other people, with other audience members. So I’m really hopeful that will be something that people enjoy about this. On top of watching a horror film with other people, watching this movie specifically with fans, is a whole other level of engagement and participation, for lack of a better word. I really think the fanbase is gonna be talking throughout the movie.

JM: Shouting at the screen.

ET: And I hope they do. In this case it’ll really be a testament to the excitement around Easter Eggs or cameos or elements of the lore that are brought in. I think horror films are always so exciting because they allow emerging filmmakers to take risks, because often the budgets are lower. And this was a little bit of a unique and different thing because it was existing IP. I’m excited for people to watch it communally together.

JM: Are you gonna have a pizza party on October 27th?

ET: (laughs) Absolutely! I will tell you: I, often throughout this project, am craving pizza more often than normal, which is quite a lot to begin with. There’s been a lot of pizza consumption throughout this project. It will not end anytime soon. [October 27th] will be a big pizza day.

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Jackson Murphy

Jackson Murphy is a movie critic and entertainment columnist. He is the creator of the website Lights-Camera-Jackson.com, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio.

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