The Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie Might Have Embraced a Stranger Things Atmosphere

In classic Five Nights at Freddy’s style, the journey to the first FNAF movie was anything but straightforward. Announced back in 2015, the film was initially set to be produced by Warner Bros., with series creator Scott Cawthon on board. However, two years later, the rights shifted to Blumhouse, just before Cawthon playfully declared the project canceled—though it was all a ruse. The movie finally hit theaters in 2023, featuring Matthew Lillard, Josh Hutcherson, and, notably, MatPat. A sequel followed in 2025.

So, what did the early days of the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie look like during its Warner Bros. phase? The YouTube DIY channel Geek Garage has some intriguing details.

In a recent Patreon giveaway, Geek Garage sent out a very early draft of the FNAF movie script, signed by Matthew Lillard, to one lucky fan. In a Patreon post, they shared that their team has a background in the film industry, which has allowed them to collect some unique original props, collectibles, and scripts.

The screenplay, penned by Gil Kenan and Tyler Burton Smith between 2015 and 2017, followed a group of four geeky friends who called themselves “The Warlocks” and created YouTube content together. After discovering the tale of a deceased security guard (Mike, who meets his end in the opening pages) and five missing children, the group decides to sneak into the old, abandoned pizzeria to uncover the truth. Interestingly, the owner was a completely different character, and William Afton was absent from the script, which is amusing given that Matt eventually signed it.

Overall, the vibe was more reminiscent of The Goonies or Stranger Things, featuring a conventional setup and story that didn’t quite align with the source material and FNAF lore.

As documented, the screenplay underwent numerous wildly different versions during preproduction (including the “Silver Eyes” and “Ghost Trackers” drafts), and it’s unclear which specific version this one represents, as Bill and Andrea recall elements from various iterations. “I remember there was an underground workshop and even an underground amusement park… The main kid’s family was moving away, and he might have had a single mom. The plot felt familiar and relied on many storytelling tropes, so my memory is a bit fuzzy since it’s been a while since I read it.”

It seems that’s all the insight we’ll get into this peculiar early script. Geek Garage and the recipient of the screenplay are understandably cautious about copyright issues and won’t be sharing more details. “We’re not gatekeeping,” Geek Garage clarifies. “We’re just following the law.”