With the recent sea of Universal andBlumhouse horror release dates, there’s a ton of exciting sequels to look forward to in 2025. One of those scream-worthy next installments isFive Nights at Freddy’s 2, which will see the return of starsJosh HutchersonandMatthew Lillard. Now, to celebrate the video game adaptation’s new release date, Lillard has reunited with man’s best friend to spread a heavy dose of nostalgia.
Shortly after the winter 2025 release date announcement forFNAF 2, the horror icon took to his Instagram to post a message horror fans are gleefully familiar with. “December 2025. I ALWAYS COME BACK.” It’s a cheeky reference to Lillard’s genre past that was also said in the final moments of the originalFNAF. However, it’s what’s in the picture which accompanies the message that’ll have moviegoers of a certain age getting emotional. The new behind-the-scenes shot ofLillard as the villainous William Afton in his battle-damaged costume from the first film’s finale is seen befriendingScooby-Doo. Specifically, the stand-in puppet from the live-actionScooby-Doofilms of the early 2000s. The actor famously played Shaggy Rogers in those adaptations andstill voices the character to this day in the variousScooby-Dooanimated filmsand TV shows.
Matthew Lillard Has Become a Horror Legend
Lillard is forever horror royalty because of his role asStu Macher in 1996’sScream. The killer partner-in-crime to Billy Loomis inWes Craven’s slasher classic has built a legacy all his own outside of Ghostface’s ongoing war with Sidney Prescott. Since then, the actor has gone on to star in the remake ofThirteen Ghostsand other non-horror genre offerings likeSLC Punk. However, it wouldn’t be until 2002’sScooby-Doothat Lillard found a whole new horror family. Shaggy is the actor’s most popular role. While the films themselves were critically panned at the time, these spooky adventures that were written byJames Gunncontinue to be praised for their pitch perfect casting. At the center of that is Lillard’s performance, who has continued to perfectly play the character for over two decades.This past March marked the20th anniversary ofScooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, which sparked a new-found internet conversation about the desire for a third film in the beloved franchise. For now, horror fans are just enjoying Lillard’s return to the genre withFNAF. The actor has been making the rounds at various horror cons in the last decade, meeting his endless number of fans as well.
When Does ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ Release?
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2will be released in theaters onDecember 5, 2025, after the first film made a killing of over $295 million at the worldwide box office.FNAFis currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and is available to purchase onBlu-ray/DVD. While fans wait for Lillard to return to the franchise, you can view his reunion with Scooby-Doo below.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Can you survive five nights? The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event, as Blumhouse — the producer ofM3GAN,The Black Phone, andThe Invisible Man— bringsFive Nights at Freddy’sto the big screen. The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.
