NEW YORK – An evil pizzeria mascot, Freddy Fazbear, became a surprise box-office sensation over the weekend, reinforcing a message that filmgoers have been sending to Hollywood all year: Give us something new.
Five Nights At Freddy’s sold an estimated US$78 million (S$107 million) in tickets at theatres in the United States and Canada from Thursday night to Sunday – a total that prompted double-takes in Hollywood because the film did not play exclusively in theatres.
The horror film, which is based on a popular survival video game, is showing in Singapore.
“This is more confirmation that audiences are looking for something new or, to be precise, getting the chance to see something they love in a cinema for the first time,” said Mr Bruce Nash, founder of box-office tracking and analytics site Numbers.
In contrast, The Exorcist: Believer, an effort to revive a 50-year-old horror franchise, flopped in theatres when it was released on Oct 6, collecting just US$26.5 million over its first three days.
Five Nights At Freddy’s collected US$53 million overseas, for a global total of about US$131 million, according to Comscore, which compiles box-office data.
Directed by a relative newcomer, Emma Tammi, the film cost production companies Blumhouse and Universal Pictures about US$20 million to make and roughly US$50 million to market worldwide.
It focuses on a security guard at an abandoned pizzeria who is terrorised by animatronic animals that used to “perform” for children at the restaurant. American actor Josh Hutcherson of The Hunger Games film series (2012 to 2015) plays the security guard.
Universal and Blumhouse knew the game had avid fans, but they were unsure whether the story would attract a broader audience, which is part of the reason the companies also made the film available on American streaming platform Peacock.
But the film became a cinematic event, with teenagers and young adults attending in groups. Many turned up in costumes.
About 80 per cent of ticket buyers were aged 13 to 24, Universal estimated. The movie received poor reviews, but ticket buyers gave it an A-minus grade (exceptional for a horror flick) in CinemaScore exit polls. NYTIMES
