Five Nights at Freddy's 2 Star Teases a Potential Trilogy Story
· BCPosted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: blumhouse, five nights at freddy's, five nights at freddys 2, horror, Matthew Lillard, Universal Pictures
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 Star Teases a Potential Trilogy Story
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 star Matthew Lillard addresses his character's role in the sequel and how it plays into a potential third film.
Published Sat, 13 Dec 2025 16:47:04 -0600
by Aedan Juvet
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Article Summary
- Five Nights at Freddy's 2 stirs speculation about a trilogy as Matthew Lillard hints at a long-term arc.
- Matthew Lillard teases a limited role for William Afton in the sequel, with bigger plans for part three.
- Despite mixed reviews, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 scores a strong box office debut, fueling sequel hopes.
- Plans for a dramatic final showdown in Five Nights at Freddy's 3 could bring the trilogy to an epic close.
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 has just arrived in theaters and dives deeper into the series' tangled game lore with its own cinematic spin. However, upon release, critics have not been especially impressed, commenting on the film's muddled storytelling and heavy reliance on fan knowledge. Still, early box office results prove that fans are still enjoying the ride. During its opening weekend, the sequel opened at number one and scared up about $63 million domestically for more than $109 million worldwide so far, already turning a solid profit on its mid-range budget.
That kind of start has naturally sparked questions about where the films go next. Speaking to ComingSoon about the future of the series, Matthew Lillard, who plays child killer William Afton, acknowledged that his role in the second film is limited while making it clear that long-term plans have always stretched beyond part two.
Matthew Lillard on a Three-Film Arc in Five Nights at Freddy's
"Don't hold your breath to seeing a lot of William Afton [in Five Nights at Freddy's 2]," Lillard explained. "Like Star Wars or 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." He also spoke about a possible payoff to that slow-burning approach, hinting at an eventual showdown. "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."
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 brings back Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, Piper Rubio as Abby, and Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa, while adding Skeet Ulrich, Mckenna Grace, Wayne Knight, Teo Briones, and Freddy Carter to the ensemble. Set about a year after the first movie, the story finds Mike and Abby trying to rebuild their lives just as a revamped Freddy Fazbear's and its new FazFest celebration drag them back into danger. Vanessa is still haunted by visions of Afton, and new animatronic threats push the lore further for long-time fans.
The first Five Nights at Freddy's film in 2023 was also a breakout hit, earning nearly $300 million worldwide on a budget of $20 million while also debuting on streaming. And, for Blumhouse, it quickly became one of their biggest success stories. That being said, considering that the sequel is already posting strong theatrical numbers and an engaged fan base, Lillard's hope for a third film feels like a very realistic next step for the series.
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