
Contrary to numerous video game-to-film adaptations over the past three decades, films derived from horror games have managed to perform exceptionally well at the box office. For instance, the Resident Evil film series spanned six movies, 2006’s Silent Hill raked in nearly $100 million, and even the controversial 2005 adaptation of Doom, starring Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson, has gained cult status. Given these precedents, it is hardly astonishing that Emma Tammi’s 2023 adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s was a hit at the box office. What is somewhat unexpected, however, is just how successful it was: with a modest production budget of $20 million, Five Nights at Freddy’s amassed around $300 million worldwide. Given the size of the FNAF community, did Hollywood foresee the film becoming such a massive success?