Behind the Glowing Eyes
Five Nights at Freddy’s, a beloved game title that resonates with many, is set to come alive on the big screen. With it comes the anticipation, excitement, and of course, criticism. One of the most debated elements? The glowing red eyes of the film’s animatronics. Robert Bennett, the mastermind behind these designs, dives deep into this controversy.
A Departure from the Original
Mike Schmidt‘s perilous journey through Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza at night became a pop culture phenomenon in the gaming world. But when the game transforms into a cinematic experience, fans expected fidelity to the original designs. When the movie trailer showcased animatronics with glowing red eyes, it became a bone of contention among the fanbase, marking a divergence from the video game.
In his candid chat with SFX Magazine, Bennett expressed,
“Everything I’ve seen has been superpositive. I know there was a big to-do about the red eyes in the poster…I watched a couple of YouTube reaction videos to the trailer. This one guy was like, ‘it looks great, but I just wish they’d show the actual animatronics, it’s all CG.’ Well, no, it was all our costumes. Everything in that trailer is our costumes and nothing was touched up with digital.”
Further emphasizing his dedication to being accurate, Bennett shared,
“We received digital files straight from Scott [Cawthon] and that’s what we’ve worked off. But it really was my intention to nail them as game-accurate as we possibly could.”
Come on
The red looks so much better pic.twitter.com/xdAHbLd4fI
— 👻 Charlie 🎃 (FNAF MOVIE!!!!!) (@CharlieFN4F) October 1, 2023
The Red Eyes Controversy – Two Sides of the Coin
Many fans voiced their concerns, pointing out that the original game portrayed the animatronics with a duller, more worn-out look, making them eerier. They believed that the glow added a touch of modern horror, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Platforms like Reddit became the epicenter for such debates.
However, a significant turn of events occurred when newer promotional materials featured the animatronics without the red glow. This change prompted a section of fans to express their disappointment, revealing a broader support for the glowing eyes than initially believed. One Twitter user, @CharlieFN4F, mentioned, “The red looks so much better.”
The Final Verdict
Amidst the debates and discussions, one thing is clear: a creator’s vision might not always align with fans’ expectations, and that’s okay. Bennett’s words are a testament to the fact that creators take fan feedback seriously but have their reasons for design choices. Whether the animatronics sport red eyes or not in the final cut remains to be seen, but the debate underscores the passion of the Five Nights at Freddy’s fanbase.
Films, like art, are subjective. As Five Nights at Freddy’s prepares to hit the screens, it reminds us of the vast array of opinions and the challenges creators face in meeting every fan’s expectation. After all, in the world of cinema and fandoms, the only constant is change.
