The review embargo for Five Nights at Freddy's 2 could be a worrying sign for Blumhouse's horror sequel. The Five Nights at Freddy's films are adaptations of the massively popular video game series, created by Scott Cawthon. While the first Five Nights at Freddy's movie was received poorly by critics, it didn't stop the movie from resonating with fans and becoming Blumhouse's highest-grossing film to date.
A sequel to Five Nights at Freddy's was quickly greenlit following the success of the first one and is now scheduled for release on December 5, 2025. While all signs point to FNAF 2 fixing many of the criticisms aimed at the first film, there are still some potentially concerning signs heading into the movie's release.
One is the reveal that the review embargo date will be lifted on December 4th at 1:00 a.m. ET, which is barely 24 hours before the film's wide release. Traditionally, a late embargo date has been seen as a sign of the studio's lack of confidence in how critics will review the movie. A similar thing happened with the first Five Nights at Freddy's film, which had a nearly same-day-and-date review embargo. The concerns proved to be true in this case, as critics largely panned the movie (it still holds only a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes).
Given this precedent, it's concerning that Universal is opting to keep the review embargo so close to the film's release, suggesting that history may repeat itself. However, there is another possible reason for the review embargo to be so late, which is that the studio is trying to avoid FNAF 2 spoilers from being leaked before the release.
The FNAF fandom has traditionally been very invested in the characters and lore of the franchise, and the second film adaptation has already proven it's digging deeper into this lore, introducing new animatronics, a different Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, and even casting exciting stars from within the fandom (like MatPat). Given the fans' passion for the movie and their penchant for uncovering clues and Easter eggs, spoilers in reviews could be a legitimate reason for Universal to delay the embargo date, allowing as many fans as possible to experience the movie spoiler-free.
This certainly seems to be the reason, according to the talent behind the movie, as new junket interviews for FNAF 2 have confirmed that even the press haven't been allowed to see the movie before interviews, refraining them from asking about specific moments or decisions. In an interview with Dave Lee, director Emma Tammi said they are trying "so hard to keep this under wraps." Meanwhile, star Josh Hutcherson said he had to "beg the studio to let me see it before I did press," adding, "they're super top secret."
While spoilers for a film as anticipated as FNAF 2 could be the legitimate reason behind the embargo delay, there have been far more seemingly spoiler-filled movies that haven't had a review or press embargo as strict as this one. Even huge superhero movies like Superman and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness allowed for press screenings and lengthier review embargoes - although sometimes the studio will omit certain sections (like post-credits scenes) from press to maintain surprises. Given the precedent from these films, such a late review embargo purely for spoiler's sake seems a bit like overkill for FNAF 2, but all will be revealed on December 5th.
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 continues the story of Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and his sister Abby (Piper Rubio), with the latter seeking to reconnect with her "friends", the animatronics at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Directed once again by Emma Tammi, FNAF 2 adds new animatronics and new cast members, including Skeet Ulrich, Kellen Goff, and Megan Fox.
How Much Will FNAF 2's Reviews Impact the Movie's Success?
While Universal's strict review embargo may raise concerns about the film's quality, the jury is out on whether critics' reviews will actually impact the success of FNAF 2.
The first film was critically panned, but it still managed to resonate with fans and become a success at the box office and on streaming platforms, including Peacock. With the second FNAF film promising to listen to fans' concerns, ramp up the scares, and delve further into the lore of the FNAF world, it's already showing signs of being more popular with audiences and repeating its success - if it can deliver.
There was a clear disparity between critics' thoughts on the first FNAF film and those of the audience, with the 33% Rotten Tomatoes score offset by a positive 86% audience score. The late review embargo could also be a sign that the studio doesn't necessarily care as much about reviews for this film and would rather preserve the experience for audiences than let potentially divisive reviews impact the film's marketing campaign.
