Jason Blum is pulling back the curtain and showing how the sausage — er, animatronics are made. In a Twitter post today, the producer shared a photo of the gang at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop working tirelessly on figures that we’re presuming to be models for his upcoming take on the video game-turned-film, Five Nights at Freddy’s. Sitting behind a table, flashing a bright smile is one of the shop’s designers. Paying close attention to the incredibly fine details, he shapes and cuts the tiny pieces that are beginning to take form as displayed by the figurine to his left.
While we can’t be certain, it really looks like the animatronic taking shape is that of the film’s titular character, Freddy Fazbear. Between the puffy chest, bowtie, and microphone, it’s almost a dead ringer for the bear at the center of all the terror. Commenting on what a dream it’s been to team up with the Creature Shop, Blum shared his excitement in the tweet’s caption, writing that the company’s “experience and expertise with animatronics is absolutely killer!”
Initially put into the works back in early 2018, Five Nights at Freddy’s has faced a plethora of setbacks. The film initially tapped Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire director Christopher Columbus to stand at its helm as well as pen the screenplay, but last September, it was revealed that Columbus’ name was no longer attached to the production. After waiting through the early days of COVID and beyond for any news surrounding the horror flick, the update came as a blow to fans who were eagerly looking for any signs of the project moving forward. With today’s image, we finally know that the wheels are really turning on making the terror filled story come to life.
The original game was created by Scott Cawthon and debuted in 2014. In it, gamers take on the role of a night shift employee at a pizza restaurant. While it might sound like a great chance to slam down some leftover slices while mopping up sticky soda stains off the floor, the shift quickly turns deadly when the animatronic characters come to life with a thirst for blood. Since its initial release, the game has received a slew of follow-up games and even several Five Nights based novels.
During an October 2021 interview with Collider, Blum said that the case of Five Nights at Freddy’s was “really tough to crack.” Along with the issues surrounding the departure of Columbus, the film faced a slowdown due to its script, something that Blum needed to have Cawthon’s blessing on before moving forward with. But, as we can now see, it looks like the script has been ironed out and production is underway. Check out his tweet below.