Five Nights at Freddy’s: Independent Multimedia Mayhem Goes Mainstream

“There are ghost children possessing giant robots? Thanks for the heads up.”

That line, spoken by night shift security guard Mike (Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games) in the trailer for Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) could be the official one-liner for those unfamiliar with the FNAF franchise … And technically, “they’re animatronics, not robots.”

Launched nine years ago as an independent survival horror video game from creator Scott Cawthon, FNAF drops players into a challenge that’s right there in the title: Can you survive five nights working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria?

At its core, the FNAF intellectual property (IP) is rooted in Fazbear’s — think ShowBiz Pizza or Chuck E. Cheese’s in the mid-1980s — where kids and families are entertained by arcade games and an animatronic house band. Through a series of nefarious events, those animatronics do end up possessed by the spirits of children. Beyond the game, the FNAF lore is an ever-growing affair that’s embraced by kids, tweens, teens, and adults. The fandom engages in cosplay, fan fiction, and has practically spawned an entire genre of music with artists like The Living Tombstone, TryHardNinja, Ck9C, and others racking up millions of streams. The Living Tombstone’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s” has more than 157 million streams on Spotify alone.

A FNAF book series from Scholastic has moved more than 10 million units thus far and continues to grow this fall with an official movie novelization and a cookbook. According to Circana, the top 10 FNAF toys sold through July all come from a singular licensee who saw the potential of the property and inked an early licensing deal: Funko.

“We have had tremendous success in the toy aisle with the Five Nights at Freddy’s brand,” Funko President Andrew Perlmutter told The Toy Book last fall during the company’s FNAF SNAPS! launch.

Binder says that Funko’s success opened the door for cross-category expansion.

“Funko, having signed on six years ago, has generated a ton of momentum with this IP with its collectible figure and game businesses, but also affording us the ability to supplement its efforts in categories they don’t specialize in with the likes of Just Toys, YouTooz, Hex, PhatMojo, and a couple of [new] partners in active negotiation.”

On Oct. 27, the film from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse (M3GAN) in association with Striker Entertainment will simultaneously hit theaters and streaming (via Peacock), and while it’s not supported by a movie-specific product lineup (yet), the accessibility of the film should send audiences flocking into stores for the latest toys and games.

As FNAF goes mainstream, there’s another story here that’s unique within the industry: Cawthon, through his Scottgames entity, maintains control of his property while entrusting Striker Entertainment to do right by it.

“One of the attributes we are most proud of is that Five Nights at Freddy’s is an independently owned IP,” Binder says. “The property should serve as a beacon to independent owners and creators showing that anything is possible if you invest in yourself and hold onto your creative instincts and convictions.”

A version of this feature was originally published in the 2023 Toy Fair issue of The Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!