Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Massive Change Is Exactly What Horror Franchise Needs

Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 is undergoing a massive change that will greatly benefit the horror franchise.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 3, the third movie based on the video game franchise, is bringing in a new screenwriter. According to star Skeet Ulrich, scribe David Robert Mitchell has been tapped to pen the screenplay.

“We’re waiting on the third script to make the third film. The guy who wrote It Follows is writing it right now,” Ulrich said at Sinister Creature Con.

Mitchell broke out in 2014 with It Follows, a movie he wrote and directed. Mitchell followed that up with 2018’s Under the Silver Lake. He returns this summer with his latest movie, The End of Oak Street, in theaters on August 14, 2026.

Scott Cawthon, who created the horror video games, co-wrote Five Nights at Freddy’s with Seth Cuddeback and Emma Tammi. Cawthon was then the lone screenwriter on Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Tammi directed both movies. It’s unknown if Cawthon will collaborate with Mitchell on the third film’s script, though it’s probably likely.

Why adding David Robert Mitchell will only help Five Nights at Freddy’s 3

No one can deny the financial success of the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise. Released simultaneously on Peacock in October 2023, Five Nights at Freddy’s grossed $297 million on a $20 million budget. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 achieved similar success in 2025 with a $239 million global haul.

Generating a profit has not been a problem. However, the two Five Nights at Freddy’s movies have been critical failures. Five Nights at Freddy’s has a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the sequel received a worse score of 17%.

Adding Mitchell as a screenwriter legitimizes the third movie. Mitchell’s It Follows is considered a modern horror classic. Much of the criticism toward the FNAF movies has focused on their horror elements. While it contains many jump scares, the thrills have been lacking. Creating atmospheric tension and adding legitimate horror won’t be a problem for Mitchell.

The Five Nights at Freddy’s movies have been geared toward fans of the video games, and so far, that strategy has worked. Adding Mitchell to work on Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 might draw in a more mainstream audience, especially those moviegoers who enjoy horror.

Source: Comingsoon.net