Overview
- Multiple industry outlets reported on Friday, June 26, 2026, that Blumhouse and Universal have tapped Gary Dauberman to write the screenplay for Five Nights at Freddy’s 3.
- Emma Tammi is expected to return as director and franchise creator Scott Cawthon will remain involved as a producer, though neither role is yet officially credited.
- Major cast returns are unconfirmed, with reports noting uncertainty about whether Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, and other principals will reprise their roles.
- The studio framed Dauberman’s hiring as a response to repeated criticism that the first two films suffered from weak plotting, thin character work, and an overload of game-specific lore.
- The change could affect the series’ critical standing without jeopardizing its commercial engine, since the 2023 and 2025 films grossed roughly $297 million and $240 million worldwide respectively.