Summary
- Matthew Lillard reprises his role as William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 in a new teaser image.
- The second FNAF movie is coming out on Dec 5, 2025, with Lillard’s return among the things fans expect to watch.
- Lillard previously said that he signed a three-picture deal for Five Nights at Freddy’s.
Matthew Lillard will reprise his role as the big bad in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. A new teaser for the sequel shared the first sneak peek of Lillard as William Afton.
The Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) movie was based on Scott Cawthon’s popular video game franchise. The horror film, which also stars Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, is a commercial success. It even became the Blumhouse’s highest-grossing movie. Due to the success of the first FNAF movie, a sequel was announced. The production for the next film is already underway. There were even leaked photos from the set weeks ago. A new image gives fans a first look at Lillard’s Afton.
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The second FNAF movie is coming out later this year. Dawko streamed live on January 25, 2025, to collect donations and help the victims of the wildfires in Los Angeles. According to Dawko, the incident displaced over 180,000 residents. During his livestream, the YouTuber performed some songs and shared three photos of FNAF 2. The third snap featured some cast members, including Lillard. “The FNAF 2 movie, get freaking excited, you’re going to love this one. I love this one and you guys are going to theorize about it. I’m telling you all this, this is my favorite one because we’ve got cast in this picture, got cast guys. We got cast. I spoiled it, but I don’t care,” Dawko said. “It’s William Afton!” In the photo, Lillard is on top of the stairs looking down at director Emma Tammi, who seems to be giving direction to Elizabeth Lail, who plays Vanessa Shelly. The photo confirms that Lillard will appear in the FNAF 2, since his character died in the first movie. Per Dawko, “We are getting William Aston flashbacks in FNAF 2.”
Lillard’s return to FNAF 2 is not a total surprise because he previously said in an interview that he signed up for a three-picture deal for the project. In February 2023, he was asked if he would be in Philadelphia and Scream star said he wouldn’t be in Philly due to his commitment to the FNAF projects. “I was supposed to be, but I just got cast in a movie called Five Nights at Freddy’s,” Lillard said. “It’s very fun, it’s a three-picture deal with Universal and Blumhouse. So, unfortunately, my day is taking me off to work which I’m very grateful for. But I am not actually going to be in Philly this time.”
Lillard’s return as Afton is not a complete surprise because the second movie is a prequel. Hence, he can be brought back onscreen through flashbacks. It only made sense to get him back because he is the central antagonist in the franchise. He is behind the horrors of Freddy’s Fazbear’s Pizza. So, his continued presence is necessary to introduce new things in the lore and expand it.
Additionally, the next film could delve deeper into Afton’s role in the missing children, allowing for more backstory and context on his crimes. Lillard’s portrayal of Afton was also well-received because his versatility balances the charm, menace and unhinged attributes of his villain character. There’s no doubt that Lillard’s return will be among the reasons FNAF fans will flock to the cinemas when it premieres.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will hit theaters on December 5, 2025.
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Source: Dawko/YouTube