Matthew Lillard children were excited when he signed on to ‘FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDYS’

Matthew Lillard says his children were excited when he signed on to ‘FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDYS’.

“I said ‘[I’m playing] William Afton and some rabbit.” And they were like, “Dad. That is going to be huge!”

Did you expect this kind of reaction to Five Nights at Freddy’s?

When I got the offer to do the movie, it was an incoming call. Basically, the proposition was go sit with [director] Emma Tammi, and if you guys get along, and you want to do the movie, you’ll get the offer. Every time that happens in my life, it usually means the movie’s pretty bad. At this point in my career, it’s not like I’m out there just getting Academy Award opportunities. I have to fight for those great roles. We met, and she explained the character, and he’s the Voldemort in the Five Nights at Freddy’s universe.

I came home, and I was talking to my wife about it, and my middle child was sitting there, and they heard me say Five Nights of Freddy’s and were like, “Wait, who are you playing?” I said, “William Afton and some rabbit.” And they were like, “Dad. That is going to be huge!” Then, my son came in, and he affirmed the exact same thing. The fact that the two of them agreed on something was crazy.

Scott Cawthon, the game designer, said to me at some point, “In a year or two, nobody’s going to be able to picture this character without it being related to you.” I kind of brushed that off as hyperbole. I took the job — and at conventions I immediately I saw my line triple in size. Every third kid would come up saying, “I cannot wait for you to be a part of this movie and this franchise. We’ve been waiting eight years for the film.” They were so excited. You start seeing projections coming out for the movie — and, in the back of my mind, I was like, “I think it’s going to be way bigger.” I’m in the trenches at these conventions. Kids come up to me all the time. Cut to early projections being $40 million and then doing $80 million on the first weekend. It was remarkable and super exciting.

It’s exciting to be a part of this thing that has become an international sensation,” Lillard says. “I realize that these opportunities don’t come around that often. It’s been a really rich, joyful moment because I can sort of sit back and appreciate it on a deeper level.”

In his first interview about the film post-strike, Lillard spoke with THR about the pressure of playing an iconic monster and explained Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! in a way even D&D newbies can understand.

Freddy’s scared up an astounding $80 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend — even with a day-and-date release on Peacock. The film from Universal and Blumhouse set an all-time record for Halloween weekend, is the biggest horror opening so far in 2023, and is the third highest ever for the genre (behind only New Line’s It films). It has passed $220 million globally — and in the first five days of its release became the most-watched Peacock title ever.

The actress shares Charlotte, as well as her 6-year-old son, Theodore, with her ex, Daniel Gillies. In addition to Macey, Matthew and his wife, Heather Helm, are parents to Addison, 19, and Liam, 13.

Rachael wore a one-shoulder, black polka dot dress for the premiere, while her daughter adorably sported a pink dress adorned with sequins and a tutu skirt. Matthew looked sharp in a blue blazer and jeans, and Macey opted for a plaid jumpsuit.