CinemaCon is in full swing in Las Vegas, and the Universal and Focus Features panel has delivered many little nuggets. The first is the new teaser for the supernatural horror film “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” directed once again by Emma Tammi (“The Wind,” “Blood Moon”). The movie stars Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard, all reprising their roles from the first film.
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Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, and Skeet Ulrich are also joining the cast for the sequel. Already dated for a December 5, 2025, release date, at CinemaCon, Universal announced that, unlike last time, “Five Nights At Freddy’s 2” will be exclusive to theaters, with no Peacock day and date release.
That seems to jibe with an overall shift in strategy that theaters are eager to return to. Yesterday at CinemaCon, Michael O’Leary, head of the Cinema United trade organization, proposed a minimum 45-day theatrical window, the time between a movie’s theatrical release and its availability for home viewing, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The first film, which opened to a record-shattering $80 million and earned almost $300 million worldwide, was the highest-grossing horror film of 2023. Based on Scott Cawthon’s blockbuster game series, “Five Nights At Freddy’s” followed a troubled young man (Hutcherson) who reluctantly takes a job as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, hoping it will help him retain custody of his young sister. That fateful decision instead drags him into the black heart of a supernatural nightmare and has obviously spawned a franchise.
Universal also announced that a live-action “How To Train Your Dragon 2” will arrive in theaters on June 11, 2027, meaning they’re confident and bullish on the live-action remake that arrives this summer on June 13.
Watch a teaser for ‘Freddy’s 2,’ an announcement teaser for “How To Train Your Dragon 2” and for a refresher, the live-action “How To Train Your Dragon” trailer which arrives this summer.
#HowToTrainYourDragon 2 – In Theaters June 11, 2027 pic.twitter.com/ki2boaZf3u
— #HowToTrainYourDragon (@HTTYDragon) April 2, 2025
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2008. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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