Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is on the way, and the movie has already fixed a mᴀssive mistake with the original movie that made $291 million at the box office. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is one of the most highly-anticipated video game movies of 2025, with it following up on the first Five Nights at Freddy’s movie from 2023. While many of the best aspects of the first film are returning in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, the sequel is shaking one of the original’s worst aspects.

The first teaser for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 was revealed at CinemaCon 2025, which Screen Rant was in attendance at. The trailer teases a major jump forward for the movie series, with the killer animatronics leaving the тιтular pizzeria and going into the real world. Alongside some of the returning animatronics, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will also introduce the Toy line of animatronics as well as Mangle, Balloon Boy, and others. There are still a lot of mysteries surrounding Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, but one important fact about the film’s release is known.

Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 Is Releasing Exclusively In Theaters Unlike The First Movie

Which Had A Same-Day Streaming Release

One of the smartest choices that has been made regarding Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is that the sequel is releasing exclusively in theaters. This is different from how the first movie was released, as Five Nights at Freddy’s did not have an exclusive theatrical run. Instead, the movie was simultaneously released in theaters and on Peacock, with this streaming strategy most likely being a continuation of new release methods that were being tested during the COVID-19 pandemic. In hindsight, however, dropping Five Nights at Freddy’s on Peacock was a big mistake.

Luckily, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will be avoiding this tragic decision. There has been no word of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 getting a simultaneous streaming release, and since we are a few more years removed from the COVID-19 Pandemic, this strategy has mostly stopped. Thus, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will have a substantial exclusive window in theaters, with fans of the franchise having to make the trek to cinemas if they don’t want to wait for the sequel’s streaming and digital releases.

Why Five Nights At Freddy’s Releasing On Streaming & Theaters Same Day Was A Mistake

It Seriously Hurt The Film’s Box Office

Releasing the first Five Nights at Freddy’s movie on streaming on the same day as its theatrical release was a mᴀssive mistake, one that seriously affected the film’s box office. 2023’s Five Nights at Freddy’s had a budget of $20 million and made $297.1 million by the end of its theatrical run, making it a big box office success. However, it undoubtedly could have been bigger. Many viewers who would have otherwise paid to see Five Nights at Freddy’s in theaters probably stayed home and watched it on Peacock, meaning that the film missed out on potential ticket sales.

Amid the success of video game movies like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Sonic the Hedgehog films, the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie would have been set up for greater successes if it weren’t for this bungled release plan. Other video game movies that were releasing around the same time were making hundreds of millions of dollars, and Five Nights at Freddy’s had the potential to join this video game movie hall of fame.

Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 Should Be An Even Bigger Box Office Hit Now

Blowing The First FNAF Out Of The Water

Luckily, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 exclusive theatrical release means that it should be an even bigger box office hit than the original. The sequel won’t have to worry about a simultaneous Peacock release cannibalizing its box office, with die-hard Five Nights at Freddy’s fans now having no choice but to go out to theaters to see the movie.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 bigger box office also has the potential to show how much money the original film missed out on. Since it is a sequel, it already has a good chance of making more money than the first film. However, if it makes a signficantly higher amount of money at the box office, this signals that the first film had the potential to pull similar numbers. So, while it has been known that Five Nights at Freddy’s release plan was a mistake, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 could prove just how big of a mistake it was.