Josh Hutcherson Teases Higher Stakes & “More Animatronics” In ‘Five Nights At Freddy’s 2’

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Josh Hutcherson looks scared in a dark room, back lit by blue, in a still from 'Five Nights at Freddy's'.

Josh Hutcherson in 'Five Nights at Freddy's' (2023). Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Josh Hutcherson is treating fans to a second serving at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.

As he prepares to enter production on the upcoming sequel in New Orleans, the Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 star said that “fans are gonna flip” for the follow-up to director Emma Tammi‘s 2023 feature adaptation of the popular horror video game series.

“It’s much bigger; the stakes are higher,” Hutcherson told Esquire. “There’s more animatronics being brought in, different animatronics being brought in, and the world just opens up in a big way.”

FNAF stars Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, a troubled security guard who begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be as easy a gig as he thought.

“We’re finding the balance right now of building this world and expanding it in a really cool way but also making sure the characters stay really grounded,” he added. “That’s something that I really think that we all fought for in the first film, because this world that was created in Five Nights at Freddy’s, it’s so out-there.

Foxy, Chica, Freddy Fazbear and Bonnie in Five Nights at Freddy’s. Universal Pictures

Hutcherson continued, “It’s so over-the-top and wacky, in a way, that to find the emotional truth of the characters was gonna be what was gonna work. I think the fans are gonna flip for it. It’s gonna be a lot of fun with the source. It’s gonna be scarier, too, actually.”

As for whether he’ll return for a third outing at Freddy’s, the actor said “you never know,” adding: “I mean, I love working in this world. Emma Tammi, our director, is phenomenal, and with my character, Mike, I think the possibilities are endless. This could have a very potentially long run and it could be a lot of fun, but at this point we’re focusing on the second movie. We’ll see what comes after that.”

Before Universal confirmed a sequel is in the works at CinemaCon in April, set to premiere in Dec. 5, 2025, Hutcheron’s co-star Matthew Lillard said he signed a three-pic deal for the franchise.