Long Range Forecast: Can FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2 Live Up to Its Blockbuster Predecessor’s $80M Opening?

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Long Range Forecast: Can FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S 2 Live Up to Its Blockbuster Predecessor's $80M Opening?

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

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Long Range Forecast — December 5, 2025

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 | Universal

Domestic Opening Weekend Range: $50M – $65M

Blumhouse’s blockbuster video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy‘s shocked the industry when it was released in 2023, vastly overperforming to the tune of $80M despite its simultaneous release on Universal-owned streaming platform Peacock. A welcome hit in the middle of a lackluster October, Freddy’s opening weekend success proved that Gen Z audiences—(80% of its opening weekend audience was 25 or under)—will head out to the cinema for the right title, opting for a communal experience even when they could be watching at home.

That $80M lighting bolt is unlikely to strike again. The first Five Nights at Freddy’s movie had been in the works for 8 years by the time it came out, contributing to sky-high anticipation among fans of the source material. Absent that sense of novelty, FNAF 2 might not be appointment viewing the same way its predecessor was; ticket pre-sales data will shed more light as we approach the film’s December 5 release date.

Also in play is the sequel’s release date: Following the massive success of the first FNAF in October, where it faced virtually no competition from comparable titles, FNAF 2 has been moved to a much more competitive release window. It’s a gamble that didn’t pay off this year for Lionsgate’s From the World of John Wick: Ballerina and Blumhouse’s M3GAN 2.0, both of which were summer sequels to films that found their theatrical audiences during sleepier months… and saw vastly diminishing returns, to the tune of a -66.8% opening weekend drop for Ballerina (compared to John Wick 4) and a -66.5% opening weekend drop for M3GAN 2.0.

Our forecasting currently has Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 facing a much more modest -37.5% to -18.75% drop compared to the opening weekend of the prior film. One place where Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is highly likely to outdo its predecessor is in terms of total domestic gross. Though the first film opened well above expectations despite streaming availability, its second weekend box office cratered to the tune of -76.2%; by the end of its theatrical run, nearly 60% of Five Nights at Freddy’s $137.2M had come from opening weekend. This time around, with Universal guaranteeing a theatrical exclusivity window, the FNAF franchise will have a fighting chance at attracting cinemagoers throughout the Christmas holidays and into the new year.

Release DateTitlePredicted Opening RangeDistributor10/31Bugonia (Expansion)$3M – $5MFocus Features10/31Back to the Future (Re-Release)$3M – $5MUniversal10/31KPop Demon Hunters (Re-Release)$7M – $10MNetflix11/7Christy $3M – 5MBlack Bear Pictures11/7Predator: Badlands$20M – $30MDisney / 20th Century Fox11/14The Running Man$34M – $42MParamount11/14Keeper$5M – $7MNeon11/14Now You See Me, Now You Don’t$15M – $25MLionsgate11/21Sisu: Road to Revenge$5M – $8MSony11/21Wicked: For Good$145M – $175MUniversal11/21Rental Family$4M – $6MSearchlight Pictures11/26Zootopia 2$95M – $115MDisney12/5Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair$2M – $4MLionsgate12/5Merrily We Roll Along$1M – $2MSony Pictures Classics