FNAF Movie Makes 3 Key Changes to Golden Freddy from the Game

By Lauren Rouse Posted:
FNAF movie, Golden Freddy

Golden Freddy appears in the Five Nights at Freddy's movie, but he's a bit different from his depiction in the video games. 

Golden Freddy is a super rare animatronic that haunts Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Reports have the chances of Golden Freddy appearing in the first game as 1 in 100,000. 

The logic of the character's appearances and significance in the lore of the FNAF is still debated by theorists and fans to this day. However, Golden Freddy does have a more defined role in the movie version.

Golden Freddy's Movie vs. Video Game Differences Explained

Golden Freddy's Animatronic Design

Golden Freddy in FNAF
Five Nights at Freddy's

The design of Golden Freddy is one of the major changes from the FNAF games.

In the games, Golden Freddy is shown as a yellow version of the Freddy animatronic but is more menacing with hollowed-out eyes. Additionally, in the games, on the rare chance that the player encounters Golden Freddy, he appears as a static animatronic lying on the floor of the office. 

The character's design in the movie differs from this approach. In Five Nights at Freddy's, Golden Freddy is shown as a Freddy bear with one vibrant blue eye, and the other hollowed out. He is also shown as a living and moving animatronic throughout the film, rather than as the decrepit version in the game.

Size of Role

Golden Freddy FNAF
Five Nights at Freddy's

As previously mentioned, Golden Freddy's impact on the story of the game is fairly insignificant (although his role in the fan theories is not). He serves largely as a secret enemy that players can attempt to encounter, without any real impact on the narrative.

In the movie version, Golden Freddy's role is more pronounced. The animatronic acts more as a leader of the group that includes Foxy, Chica, Bonnie and Freddy. However, his appearances on screen are still rare.

One major action Golden Freddy is responsible for in the movie is to lure Mike's sister, Abby, back to the Pizzeria after she is told to stay away. To do this Golden Freddy kills the babysitter, Jane, and then escorts Abby in a taxi back to the restaurant.

Golden Freddy's Interactions With Mike

Blonde Boy in FNAF movie
Five Nights at Freddy's

Particularly in the first video game, Golden Freddy's interactions with the main character, Mike, are fleeting - a byproduct of the rare circumstances of his appearances.

In the movie, however, Golden Freddy appears to Mike as one of the children in his dreams. 

The blonde boy, played by Grant Feely, acts as a ringleader of the ghost children. He has some of the more significant conversations with Mike, including warning him about the "yellow rabbit" and giving him hints about the disappearance of his brother, Garrett.  

It is widely agreed upon that Golden Freddy in the games is possessed by the spirit of one of the children who goes missing and is murdered by William Afton. This remains true in the movie version of the character, as the blond boy is implied as the one in control of the blue-eyed bear animatronic.

While Golden Freddy was given a more significant and coherent role in the story of Five Nights at Freddy's the animatronic's origins are still shrouded in mystery. It's possible that a FNAF sequel may shed some more light on the character.

Five Nights at Freddy’s is available to stream on Peacock and watch in theaters now. 

- In This Article: Five Nights at Freddy's
Release Date
October 27, 2023
Platform
Theaters
Actors
Josh Hutcherson
Matthew Lillard
Genres
- About The Author: Lauren Rouse
Lauren Rouse has been a writer at The Direct since the site launched in 2020. She has a huge passion for everything pop culture and currently writes news articles for the Marvel, Star Wars, DC and video game branches.