Hold Up: The FNAF Movie Almost Went Full Stranger Things With 'The Warlocks'?
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Turns out the *Five Nights at Freddy's* movie almost leaned into a *Stranger Things*-esque vibe with a gang of YouTube-making kids called 'The Warlocks' instead of delving into the Afton family saga, according to an early script unearthed by Geek Garage. It’s a wild peek into what could have been for the notoriously convoluted film production.
Right, so we all know the Five Nights at Freddy's movie had more plot twists behind the scenes than a rogue AI trying to rewrite reality itself. It was a proper saga, wasn't it? Years of 'will it, won't it?', shuffling studios, and enough fan theories to power a small city. But bloody hell, an actual, bona fide early script has popped up, and it paints a picture of a film that was less animatronic jump-scare fest and more... well, imagine *Stranger Things* met *The Goonies*, but with fewer bikes and more possessed robots.
Seriously, the production journey of the FNAF film was a masterclass in 'will it, won't it?' – pure chaotic energy, the kind you get when a spell backfires spectacularly. Announced way back in 2015 with Warner Bros. at the helm, then shuffled off to Blumhouse two years later, only for creator Scott Cawthon to apparently *cancel* it, which, let's be fair, was peak Cawthon trolling, bless him. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity and a whole lot of community speculation, we got the film in 2023, with Matthew Lillard giving it his all and MatPat making a cameo that probably caused the internet to collectively short-circuit. And now, a sequel's already out there in 2025 – time flies when you're being chased by possessed puppets, eh?
But what *was* brewing in those early Warner Bros. days? That, my friends, is where YouTube channel Geek Garage – bless their treasure-hunting hearts – comes in. Apparently, these wizards of DIY used to dabble in the film industry themselves, snagging some proper cool memorabilia along the way. And what did they just send out as a Patreon giveaway? Only an *early version* of the FNAF movie script, signed by none other than Matthew Lillard himself! You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well? That's what Geek Garage just did, accidentally unearthing a whole alternate dimension of FNAF lore.
Authored by Gil Kenan and Tyler Burton Smith sometime between 2015 and 2017, this script sounds like it took a hard left turn from what we eventually got. Bill and Andrea from Geek Garage spilled some digital tea, saying it followed 'The Warlocks' – a gang of four nerdy mates making YouTube videos. Sound familiar? Instead of a struggling security guard, these kids stumble upon the tale of a *dead* security guard (poor Mike, didn't even make it past the first few pages, apparently) and five missing children. Naturally, being the intrepid Warlocks they were, they decide to sneak into the old abandoned pizzeria to play detective.
And here's the kicker: William Afton, the purple man himself, was nowhere to be seen! A completely different owner character. I mean, fair dinkum, it's pretty wild to think of a FNAF story without Afton pulling the strings, isn't it? Especially since Lillard signed a script that omitted his signature character – the irony is palpable, like a glitch in the Matrix. Apparently, it had that classic 'group adventure' vibe, very much in the vein of *The Goonies* or *Stranger Things*. Loads of storytelling tropes, apparently, with one kid's family even moving away from town and a single mum – you know, the works. Oh, and get this: an *underground workshop* and even an *underground amusement park*. My mind is just picturing the potential for some absolutely bonkers set pieces there!
Now, while it sounds like a hoot, Geek Garage's memory of it suggests it 'lacked real faithfulness to the source material and FNAF lore.' And look, as much as I love a good 'what if' scenario, you can see why Cawthon might have eventually gone, 'Nah, mate, we need to dial that back a bit and stick closer to the terrifying heart of it all.' It's always fascinating to peek behind the curtain at these abandoned timelines, isn't it? Like looking into a crystal ball that shows a parallel universe. You wonder what the fandom would've made of 'The Warlocks' vs. the Afton family saga we eventually got.
Sadly, it seems that's all the intel we're getting. Geek Garage and the lucky script recipient are playing it safe – and rightly so – to avoid any copyright kerfuffles. 'We’re not gatekeeping,' they say, 'We’re just following the law.' And fair play to them, wouldn't want to summon a legal team instead of an animatronic. It just goes to show you how many different realities a game adaptation can go through before it lands on the one we finally see. Sometimes those discarded visions are just as intriguing as the final product. So next time you're delving into the lore, just remember there's a universe out there where FNAF was basically a kid-friendly horror-mystery with 'The Warlocks.' A bit of a mind-bender, eh?
Original source of this fascinating tidbit: Kotaku, by Bee Wertheimer.
Tags: Five Nights at Freddy's, FNAF Movie, Film Adaptation, Gaming Lore, Behind the Scenes
Original article: kotaku