Five Nights At Freddy’s 3: Director Teases Bigger Roles For Lillard & Ulrich

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Be warned, this contains spoilers for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2! The movie brought together Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich, much like the film Scream, and director Emma Tammi hints they’ll have even more to do in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. Lillard plays William Afton in both Blumhouse adaptations of the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series. Afton is the founder of the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza chain, and he used the restaurant’s fun atmosphere to conceal his crimes as a child serial killer before the business closed.

As a big fan of the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, I was really intrigued by Matthew Ulrich’s role as Henry Emily. He first appeared in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 as the father of Charlotte, a character with a tragic connection to the story – she eventually becomes the Marionette, a key villain in the upcoming 2025 sequel. What’s really cool is that a voiceover during the credits of the new movie revealed Henry wasn’t just a grieving father; he actually helped create Freddy Fazbear’s animatronics! He even left a warning for Josh Hutcherson’s character, Mike, about just how dangerous the Marionette is.

Following the film’s release on streaming services, ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with director Emma Tammi about Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. When asked if a reunion between Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich was possible after they didn’t share any scenes in the 2025 sequel, Tammi hinted that both actors will have more significant roles in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. However, she clarified that it’s still uncertain whether they will appear together on screen in the next installment.

We’re still figuring out if a sequel will happen, and how much the characters would actually interact with each other – maybe just in different scenes. Details are still being worked out, but I think another installment would definitely satisfy fans and make their eventual reunion even more impactful.

Similar to the first movie, William Lillard returned as a minor character, appearing in Vanessa’s nightmares. Vanessa, played by Elizabeth Lail, was still traumatized by her father’s attempt on her life at the end of the first Five Nights at Freddy’s film. Matthew Ulrich also had a limited role, mainly appearing in one scene to explain the restaurant’s history and his daughter’s murder, setting up details revealed after the credits.

The ending of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 strongly suggested that Lillard would return in a future third film, and with a renewed threat. When some teenagers investigated the original, closed-down Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, the Springtrap suit activated, showing that Afton’s spirit had fully possessed the frightening yellow rabbit character and was prepared to start killing again.

The voiceover at the end of the credits, spoken by Ulrich, revealed more than just story details. Listeners could faintly hear someone attacking Henry in the background. This happened while Henry was warning about The Marionette, making it unclear if the attack occurred when the scary animatronic was controlling Lisa, Toy Chica, Abby, or Vanessa. A future movie might explain exactly when this attack took place.

Look, the director, Tammi, isn’t confirming anything yet, but I really think we’re going to see Matthew Lillard and Robert Ulrich share the screen again in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. After the success of the first film, it feels inevitable. The smartest way to do it? Flashbacks, definitely. Exploring the backstory between their characters, especially surrounding the tragedy of Charlotte, would be killer. Or, maybe, just maybe, we’ll see a post-credit scene where Afton survives and ends up face-to-face with Springtrap. Whatever happens, given how well the 2025 sequel did at the box office, I’m confident Tammi and her team will find a way to give Scream fans what they want.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 coverage with:

  • Emma Tammi addressing Five Nights at Freddy’s 2‘s box office success in spite of critical reviews
  • Tammi offering a cautious update on Five Nights at Freddy’s 3‘s development status

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2025-12-31 18:28