Five Night’s at Freddy’s Movie Headed to Record-Breaking Opening Weekend

The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is heading toward a record-breaking opening weekend at the box office. The Blumhouse-produced film inspired by the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series is meeting the highest projections for its box office haul, earning an estimated $78 million in its debut weekend. That includes $39.4 million on its first day at the box office (with $10.3 million in Thursday previews rolled into that number). The , but young fans are choosing to see it in theaters in impressive numbers, many dressing up in costumes as characters from the franchise. As a result, the film is beating Scream to become the biggest opening weekend for a horror movie this year, and the biggest Halloween weekend opening ever.

The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie’s box office success comes despite the film receiving a negative reaction from critics. ComicBook.com’s Megan Peters awarded the movie only 2.5 stars out of a possible 5 in her review. She writes:

“Since the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s nearly a decade ago, the franchise has become a giant with horror lovers. This means expectations for its movie adaptation were high, and sadly, Five Nights at Freddy’s did not meet them. The film’s sanitized scares strips the franchise of its legendary tension. When paired with its muddled story, the only thing that kept Five Nights at Freddy’s afloat for me was its filmography and Easter eggs. Even with its flaws, the film will likely impress young fans who’ve yet to develop a tolerance for horror. But, as for older fans, well – they will have no problem surviving their visit to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.”

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is expected to fall into second place, with Maritn Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon in third. The Angel Studios documentary After Death and Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer will round out the top five. The full list of the top films at the box office this weekend follows.

1. Five Nights at Freddy’s

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $78 million

A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the late shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.

Emma Tammi directed Five Nights at Freddy’s from a screenplay she co-wrote with Seth Cuddeback and Scott Cawthon, based on the Cawthon’s Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series. The movie stars Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Matthew Lillard.

2. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

• Week Two
• Weekend: $15.6 million
• Total: $150.2 million
  

The cultural phenomenon continues as pop icon Taylor Swift performs hit songs in a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.

3. Killers of the Flower Moon

• Week Two
• Weekend: $10 million
• Total: $41.6 million
  

In the 1920s, members of the Osage Native American tribe of Osage County, Oklahoma, are murdered after oil is found on their land, and the FBI decides to investigate.

Martin Scorsese directed Killers of the Flower Moon and co-wrote its screenplay with Eric Roth, based upon David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser.

4. After Death

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $5.9 million

Scientists, authors and survivors of near-death experiences discuss the spiritual and scientific dimensions of mortality and the afterlife.

Stephen Gray and Chris Radtke wrote and directed After Death. Angel Studios distributed the documentary. 

5. The Exorcist: Believer

• Week Four
• Weekend: $3.3 million
• Total: $59.5 million
  

When his daughter, Angela, and her friend Katherine, show signs of demonic possession, it unleashes a chain of events that forces single father Victor Fielding to confront the nadir of evil. Terrified and desperate, he seeks out Chris MacNeil, the only person alive who’s witnessed anything like it before.

David Gordon Green directed The Exorcist: Believer and co-wrote its screenplay with Peter Sattler, based on a story he developed with Scott Teems and Danny McBride. It stars Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, Ellen Burstyn, and Linda Blair.

6. Paw Patrol: The Might Movie

• Week Five
• Weekend: $2.2 million
• Total: $59.2 million
  

The PAW Patrol pups magically gain superpowers after a meteor strikes Adventure City. However, things take a turn for the worse when Humdinger and a mad scientist steal their powers and turn themselves into supervillains. As the team springs into action to save the city, Skye soon learns that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference.

Cal Brunker directed PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and co-wrote the screenplay with Bob Barlen. The film’s voice cast includes Christian Corrao, Luxton Handspiker, Callum Shoniker, Ron Pardo, Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery, Kim Kardashian, North West, Saint West, James Marsden, Kristen Bell, and Finn Lee-Epp.

7. Freelance

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $2.1 million

Stuck in a dead-end desk job, former special forces operative Mason Pettis reluctantly takes on a freelance gig to provide private security for a washed-up journalist as she interviews a ruthless dictator. When a military coup breaks out just as she’s about to get the scoop of a lifetime, the unlikely trio must figure out how to survive the jungle and one another to make it out alive.

Pierre Morel directed Freelance from a screenplay by Jacob Lentz. The film stars John Cena, Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba, and Christian Slater.

8. Saw X

• Week Five
• Weekend: $1.86 million
• Total: $50.4 million
  

Hoping for a miraculous cure, John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer uses deranged and ingenious traps to turn the tables on the con artists.

Kevin Greutert directed Saw X from a screenplay by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. It stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Renata Vaca, and Michael Beach.

9. The Nightmare Before Christmas

• Week Two (of re-release)
• Weekend: $1.85 million
• Total (lifetime): $85 million

The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown’s beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the “real world.” When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life — he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.

Henry Selick directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, based on ideas from Tim Burton. The film’s voice cast includes Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix, and Ed Ivory.

10. The Creator

• Week Five
• Weekend: $1.1 million
• Total: $38.9 million
  

As a future war between the human race and artificial intelligence rages on, ex-special forces agent Joshua is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI. The Creator has developed a mysterious weapon that has the power to end the war and all of mankind. As Joshua and his team of elite operatives venture into enemy-occupied territory, they soon discover the world-ending weapon is actually an AI in the form of a young child.

Gareth Edwards directed The Creator and co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz. It stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, and Madeleine Yuna Voyles.