The Creator of “Annabelle” Enters Freddy’s World: Gary Dauberman to Write “Five Nights at Freddy’s 3”
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, the highly lucrative and hit horror film franchise Five Nights at Freddy’s has found a new writer. Gary Dauberman, a renowned screenwriter who has been instrumental in shaping some of the biggest horror franchises of the past decade, has been tapped to pen the script for the third installment of the popular video game adaptation.
This marks the first major creative move for the project following the successful release of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 last December, which grossed $240 million worldwide.
Injecting Fresh Blood into the Script with a Veteran Writer
Although the first two installments—produced by Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and Universal Pictures—were immensely profitable, they frequently faced criticism from reviewers and audiences alike for narrative and screenwriting weaknesses. It appears producers have listened to fan feedback, turning to a writer with an outstanding track record in the horror genre to inject fresh blood into the franchise.
Gary Dauberman previously penned the screenplay for the 2017 cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s novel It, directed by Andy Muschietti, which broke records for the biggest opening weekend in horror cinema history. He also wrote and executive produced its sequel, It Chapter Two.
Within The Conjuring Universe, Dauberman was responsible for writing the famous spinoffs Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, and Annabelle Comes Home, as well as The Nun (the highest-grossing film in the franchise). His next upcoming project is the action feature Street Fighter, based on the iconic video game, which is scheduled for release on October 16.
Creative Team and the Fate of the Cast
Emma Tammi, who helmed the first two installments and co-wrote the original film, is expected to return to the director’s chair for the third chapter. Scott Cawthon, the creator of the original video game who served as the primary writer for the second film, will remain attached to the project as a producer.
It remains unconfirmed whether original stars Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, and Elizabeth Lail will return for the third movie. However, given that the second installment concluded with several open-ended storylines and unresolved cliffhangers, the return of most of the main cast is highly anticipated.
The plot of the game and the first film centers on a security guard (played by Josh Hutcherson) who begins a night shift at “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza”—a family entertainment center where giant animatronic robots, including Freddy Fazbear (the bear), Bonnie (the rabbit), Chica (the chicken), and Foxy (the pirate fox), come alive at night and turn into murderous entities. The first film, released in 2023, successfully amassed $291.5 million at the global box office.
