Terrible news for people not content to simply see strong implications of people being torn to shreds by knock-off Chuck E. Cheese mascots—but who crave to see the carnage in full, artificial nature red in synthetic tooth and claw: Five Nights At Freddy’s will not be here to help you sate that dark urge. Per Variety, director Emma Tammi has clarified that her film will not be offering up an R-rated cut on streaming or home video: You’ll just have to live with the PG-13 version (or go watch 2021's Willy’s Wonderland, if you really need to see this premise executed with maximum gore).
This is all despite rumors to the contrary, probably spurred on by the fact that recent Blumhouse hit M3gan did go this route late last year, releasing an unrated version that included more swearing and a bit more graphic violence, with both versions of the movie landing on Peacock for viewers to choose between. But what you see is what you get with Freddy’s which is not wholly surprising given what a huge fanbase the game has among very young viewers.
Here’s Tammi, in an interview with Forbes: “We knew that some of the fan base would want an R-rated version of this film… Of course, there are a lot of dark elements to see in the lore, but in terms of some of the kills and everything, it was just all execution dependent. I would say not to expect an R-rated version on this one. We’re really happy with how the PG-13 tone landed; it felt like the right fit for this particular film. We’re sticking by it.”
Five Nights At Freddy’s hits theaters this weekend, where it’s currently projected to bring in at least $50 million. If you want some background on the series, feel free to check out our primer on it here.