The malevolent animatronics of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza are returning, with Blumhouse and Universal announcing that Freddy Carter has joined the cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. The actor’s involvement was confirmed during the film’s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con.
In a clip shown at the event, Carter appears as an eerie security guard giving a tour of the haunted pizzeria. This has fueled fan speculation that he will portray Jeremy Fitzgerald, the protagonist from the second video game.
The sequel will explore the aftermath of the first film, which saw serial killer William Afton (Matthew Lillard) trapped inside the Bonnie animatronic suit. The story follows Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) as they hunt for more cursed animatronics.
Carter joins a cast that includes returning stars Hutcherson, Lail, Piper Rubio, and Lillard. Other new additions are Theodus Crane, Wayne Knight, McKenna Grace, and Skeet Ulrich. Emma Tammi returns to direct, with the game’s creator, Scott Cawthon, adapting his own work for the screenplay.
During the Comic-Con panel, Lillard appeared via video to promote the sequel’s exclusive theatrical release, a change from the original’s day-and-date streaming debut on Peacock. “If you go see it, they’ll make a third one!” he told the audience before introducing his former Scream co-star, Skeet Ulrich, to the stage.
Ulrich’s role remains a mystery, though he teased that his character has “a deep emotional tie to what’s going on.” Online theories suggest he may be playing robotics expert Henry Emily, co-founder of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and a former business partner of Lillard’s Afton.
Producer Jason Blum revealed that development on the sequel did not begin until after the first film proved to be a success. He admitted this strategy goes against his usual advice. “I really encourage the creative partners, no matter how confident we are about the first movie, not to start thinking of a second movie before the first one comes out; or else the first movie suffers,” Blum explained.
The first Five Nights at Freddy’s was a box office phenomenon, becoming the highest-grossing horror film of 2023 with $291 million worldwide and setting viewership records for Peacock. When asked by a fan about a potential movie based on the Security Breach game, Blum hinted at his hopes for a third installment in the film series.
Carter recently appeared in Masters of the Air and The Doll Factory and is well-known for his role as Kaz Brekker in Netflix’s Shadow and Bone.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 5.
