The tragedy that inspired a film

Before it was a film, Five Nights at Freddy’s was a very successful video game inspired by a real-life tragedy. Created by Scott Cawthon, the franchise has developed almost 20 games since its launch in 2014. In 2023, Blumhouse Productions brought the story to the big screen with the film Five Nights at Freddy’sstarring John Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) as Mike Schmidt, a security guard haunted by the disappearance of his younger brother years earlier.

He still has nightmares about the kidnapping, and when he gets a job at a closed pizzeria that once housed beloved animatronics who played music for children, his nightmares become more vivid. Briefly, the animatronics come to life and Mike discovers that his life, as well as that of his younger sister, is in great danger. While it sounds great for a horror story, several things about the franchise, games, and film are based on a real-life tragedy and the history of the Chuck E. Cheese pizza franchise.

How the Chuck E. Cheese Tragedy Inspired Five Nights At Freddy’s

The history of Five Nights at Freddy’s the franchise is about creator Scott Cawthon and a crisis of faith he went through in early 2010. However, one of the things that influenced him to tell the story in an abandoned pizzeria that was once the scene of a great tragedy was a life event incident occurred in 1993. On December 14, 1993, a former employee (19 year old Nathan Dunlap) went to his former employer, Chuck E. Cheese, and shot and killed four employees while wounding a fifth (via The Colorado Sun).

At the time, the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, was the deadliest mass shooting in Colorado history (later eclipsed by the Columbine shooting). Dunlap was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and other charges and was sentenced to death by lethal injection. This was later overturned and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2020.

Although the incidents that occurred in the game were not the same as those in real life, Scott Cawthon had the Five Nights at Freddy’s Tragedies also happened in 1993. However, these murders had nothing to do with the animatronics. He was just a teenager who was fired seeking revenge against the restaurant where he worked.

How did Five Nights At Freddy’s become a franchise?

Scott Cawthon created the game after a crisis of faith

Scott Cawthon was possibly the last person anyone would suspect would make a video game about animatronics possessed by child spirits killing people. Cawthon was a devout Christian who spent his time making self-funded Christian adventure games. However, these were not profitable and he had a wife and children to support. He decided to start making cheaper non-Christian games for computers and mobile devices. At this time, Cawthon began to question the existence of God and even considered suicide.

He continued working and then created a family-friendly resource management game called Chipper & Sons lumber. However, there was a problem with this game. Players and critics panned the game, saying the characters looked “creepy” and like “creepy” animatronics (via The New York Times). Cawthon decided to accept the criticism and do something about it, establishing “do something much scarier than that.”

This is how Five Nights at Freddy’s emerged, with Cawthon creating animatronic villains based on reviews of his latest game. Cawthon refuses to discuss his inspirations and prefers to let the games speak for themselves. However, looking at the games in the franchise, it is clear that he was inspired not only by the Chuck E. Cheese murders, but also by the restaurant franchise itself.

In real life, rival animatronic-themed pizzerias, Pizza-Time Theater and Showbiz Pizza Palace, eventually merged into the modern Chuck E. Cheese. In games, two rival pizza chains merged to become entities known as Fazbear Entertainment Co. Although he has not openly mentioned the connection, it is clear that Five Nights at Freddy’s is based entirely on Chuck E. Cheese, its history, and the sometimes creepy animatronics the restaurants are known for.

What changed about the story when it became a film?

Michael has completely changed in games

When Five Nights at Freddy’s arrived on the big screen, big changes were made. The biggest change came with Mike Schmidt. In the film, Mike was a young boy when someone kidnapped his younger brother from the park where they were playing. Mike was doing his own kind of sleep therapy, trying to better remember the event to find clues as to what could have happened to his little brother. This led to the film’s twist: the man who hired him was the original kidnapper.

However, that’s not what happened in video games. While Mike was a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza trying to survive the animatronics in both cases, in the games, Mike wasn’t looking for the mystery of his missing brother. The reason he stayed at work despite the danger was unknown in the games, where in the film he tried to prove his worth to keep custody of his younger sister.

The game’s lore remains a mystery, although the biggest theory is that Mike Schmidt is Michael Afton, son of William Afton (the villain of the film and games). However, the film changes the relationship with William Afton, who has a daughter named Vanessa. She is also at the games, but she is not William’s daughter there. This was likely changed to separate Mike from the villain in any way other than William kidnapping Mike’s younger brother in the film.

What did Scott Cawthon think of the movie Five Nights At Freddy’s?

Scott Cawthon thanked fans for the film’s success

Scott Cawthon co-wrote the script alongside Seth Cuddeback and Emma Tammi. In 2018, Cawthon said he wanted to create something that fans would like. “I don’t always get things right. I’ve been writing this script. This doesn’t mean the film will be perfect” he said (via The New York Times). “But I hope everyone at least believes that my No. 1 goal is to make sure I don’t disappoint anyone. A lot of people like these characters and these games, and that means a lot to me.“

At the same time, his fellow screenwriters said that his appreciation of the film was all that mattered to them. Emma Tammi, who went on to direct Five Nights at Freddy’s said Cawthon’s approval was important:

“We wouldn’t be releasing this film if Scott wasn’t satisfied. It goes back to how passionate he feels and how protective he is of the fanbase. approval. I wouldn’t be here today without your seal of approval.”

After the film’s release, Scott Cawthon was extremely happy with Five Nights at Freddy’s. Although critics panned it, the film was a financial success and a sequel will be released in December 2025. In a Reddit post, Cawthon said: “Thank you everyone for making opening weekend a huge success. It was beyond my wildest dreams. I read the comments and reviews, so while I’m happy that most people had a great time at the movies, I’m definitely paying attention and wanted to let you all know that.“