Five Nights At Freddy’s Film Trailers: Easter Eggs And References

2nd July 2023

‘Five Nights At Freddy’s’ Film Trailers: Easter Eggs and References

Nearly nine years after the release of the original ‘Five Nights At Freddys’ game, the live action film has finally released its teaser and full trailers, and it looks fantastic. Using both costumes and real animatronics, Blumhouse have done an incredible job at recreating the source material for the big screen.

But, within both trailers, there were a lot of easter eggs and references towards the franchise. And, being a huge fan, I was quick to spot them. So, I decided to compile a list of these very references and expand upon them, whether that be through theories that I have revolving around the film or just something specifically that Blumhouse did well.

‘Where Fantasy and Fun Come To Life’

The teaser trailer opened to a VHS style training video, introducing new security guards to their job at Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria, where the company’s motto is spoken: Where fantasy and fun come to life. While it’s only ever said in the first game, it’s a nice nod to the source material.

Welcome To Freddy Fazbear Pizza!

Fans then got a glimpse at the main restaurant and front of the building. Because the film is set in modern day, the restaurant that was once popular in the 80’s is now run down and overgrown with vines. But the inside is a time capsule; nothing’s been touched since then, so everything is undamaged but decorated with a layer of dust. The attention to detail both inside, and outside, of the pizzeria is incredible. Even though a lot of the game’s have a dark environment, certain patterns are consistent throughout: the black and white checkered borders that decorate the walls, the childrens’ drawings on the tables and walls. These have all been captured perfectly and, according to British Youtuber Dawko (who visited the set), the inside of the location was a working pizzeria, e.g.: the kitchen area was an actual working kitchen. Because it wasn’t just a film set, it adds so much to the restaurant’s authenticity; you’d feel like it had once been a working restaurant that’s been forgotten.

Hello Mike Schmidt

The name Mike Schmidt came from ‘Five Nights At Freddys 1’ and was used as an alias for the character you played as. But it is great to see this name actually being used for the film as the main character’s official name, with Josh Hutcherson taking this role. Even though I only know him from films of my childhood (Zathura, Bridge to Terebithia), I think he’ll be great. Just from the trailers, it looks like he fits comfortably into the role and I’m looking forward to seeing his performance.

Keep An Eye On The Monitors

With the exception of the latest game ‘Security Breach’, ‘Five Nights At Freddys 4’ ‘Sister Location’, the main concept of the franchise is the player is playing a night guard that has to check the restaurant’s security cameras to make sure the animatronic characters don’t get to the security office that you’re in.

While it’s featured only for a short amount of time in the trailers, it’s amazing to see how accurate the office monitors are, and the angles the cameras are using to display various parts of the restaurant. Specific locations that are featured here, that are in the game, are the main stage camera and Pirate’s Cove, where the fox character Foxy lives. It’s a short moment in the trailers, but it looks like it’s been lifted directly from the games.

The Youtubers Who Made The Game What It Is

The end of the full trailer gives fans a scene involving the Youtuber CoryxKenshin. It’s a silly and fun moment, but it highlights that the film recognizes how the franchise was boosted into popularity: youtube lets play videos. If it wasn’t for Youtubers like him, Markiplier, Dawko and Jacksepticeye amongst others, then the franchise probably wouldn’t be as popular as it is now and it’s delightful to see these people be given recognition. The other cameos are via an ‘Employees of the Month’ board that’s hung up in the hallway outside the restaurant’s security office. The board features photos of Dawko, 8-Bit Ryan, FusionZGamer and Razzbowski and many more; it’s delightful to see, but it’s also a cameo style that I am glad to have happened. They not only get recognized, but it perfectly blends in with the setting and doesn’t draw attention to itself. Personally, I think this is the best form of cameo that could’ve been utilized.

The Missing Children

One sequence in the teaser trailer stuck out to me: Mike is seen in a woodland location, with children behind him. Each child appears to be wearing clothing/accessories that represent the animatronic characters: one child has Foxy’s hook, another is wearing a top hat like the bear Freddy Fazbear, a girl is wearing a yellow and white shirt like Chica the Chicken, and another is wearing bunny ears like Bonnie the Rabbit. Not only do they seem to represent the children that went missing in the 80’s (leading to the restaurants closure), but this scene echoes that of the third novel ‘The Fourth Closet’ where one of the characters ends up seeing the missing children and ends up helping them. Could this mean that the film isborrowing some story elements from the novel trilogy?

Introducing William Afton (and Springtrap?!)

The teaser introduced him, but the full trailer shows more of Matthew Lillard’s (Scream, Scooby Doo) portrayal of main villain and Pizzeria creator William Afton. After the casting announcement, I immediately knew it was the right choice, especially after his performance as Stu in the original ‘Scream’. And he looks fantastic here. Disguising himself as a career counsellor, William is the one who gives Mike the job of night guard. However, he gives himself the name of ‘Steve Raglan’, something that is done in the first novel ‘The Silver Eyes’. In that novel, William disguises himself as a night guard, giving himself the name ‘Dave Miller’; he is possibly doing the same here.

But the full trailer’s biggest surprise came at the end when William’s rabbit suit was revealed, looking very damaged. One of my favourite characters in the entire franchise is Springtrap, a character that appears in ‘Five Nights At Freddys 3’ and is essentially William Afton’s undead body trapped in his favourite rabbit mascot suit. Time hasn’t been kind to it, leading the character to look withered, rotting and downright creepy. And a quick glimpse of the Springtrap design was revealed at the end of the full trailer. Whether or not the suit is the result of William dying then coming back to life, or if it’s just a damaged suit remains to be seen. But it’s still exciting to see the suit come to the big screen in live action form.

Is That A Saw Trap?!

Just before the title comes up in the full trailer, a scene that’s featured in both the teaser and trailer involves Mike strapped into a chair as a Freddy Fazbear mask comes towards his face, rotating saw blades whirling inside. This was the most striking part of the teaser and is still quite shocking to see! My theory is that this scene is either a nightmare sequence after Mike falls asleep during his night shift, or this is an invention by William Afton after Mike is chased down. But it sure is an interesting way to represent its same release date rival, Saw X!

Golden Freddy

The end of the full trailer involves a scene with Cory, Mike’s sister Abby (Piper Rubio) and a Golden Freddy animatronic. While I thought this scene was silly and humorous, it’s also a little strange: assuming this scene takes place after the events of the film, where a serial killer and possessed animatronics have chased her and Mike down, why does Abby seem content to be with Golden Freddy? My theory is that Golden Freddy is Mike by the end of the film, meaning he doesn’t survive the film’s events. It’s a loose theory, but this scene is a little weird upon a rewatch if this does take place near the end of the movie.

The ‘Five Nights At Freddys’ Movie looks fantastic, creepy and a lot of fun. After waiting years for it, and as a huge fan of the games, I cannot wait. Blumhouse have done an amazing job in capturing the aesthetic of the source material, and even sprinkled a few surprises in, which was unexpected. Plus, it will make for a great Halloween cinema trip!

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