The Big Picture

• Get ready for Five Nights at Freddy's 2 in December 2025, starring Josh Hutcherson and Matthew Lillard.
• Matthew Lillard reigns as horror royalty, from Scream to Scooby-Doo, returning with FNAF 2.
• FNAF 2 hits theaters on December 5, 2025, following the success of the first film with over $295 million.

With the recent sea of Universal and Blumhouse horror release dates, there’s a ton of exciting sequels to look forward to in 2025. One of those scream-worthy next installments is Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which will see the return of stars Josh Hutcherson and Matthew Lillard. Now, to celebrate the video game adaptation's new release date, Lillard has reunited with man’s best friend to spread a heavy dose of nostalgia.

Shortly after the winter 2025 release date announcement for FNAF 2, the horror icon took to his Instagram to post a message horror fans are gleefully familiar with. “December 2025. I ALWAYS COME BACK.” It’s a cheeky reference to Lillard’s genre past that was also said in the final moments of the original FNAF. However, it’s what’s in the picture which accompanies the message that’ll have moviegoers of a certain age getting emotional. The new behind-the-scenes shot of Lillard as the villainous William Afton in his battle-damaged costume from the first film’s finale is seen befriending Scooby-Doo. Specifically, the stand-in puppet from the live-action Scooby-Doo films of the early 2000s. The actor famously played Shaggy Rogers in those adaptations and still voices the character to this day in the various Scooby-Doo animated films and TV shows.

Matthew Lillard Has Become a Horror Legend

Lillard is forever horror royalty because of his role as Stu Macher in 1996’s Scream. The killer partner-in-crime to Billy Loomis in Wes Craven’s slasher classic has built a legacy all his own outside of Ghostface’s ongoing war with Sidney Prescott. Since then, the actor has gone on to star in the remake of Thirteen Ghosts and other non-horror genre offerings like SLC Punk. However, it wouldn’t be until 2002’s Scooby-Doo that Lillard found a whole new horror family. Shaggy is the actor's most popular role. While the films themselves were critically panned at the time, these spooky adventures that were written by James Gunn continue to be praised for their pitch perfect casting. At the center of that is Lillard’s performance, who has continued to perfectly play the character for over two decades. This past March marked the 20th anniversary of Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, which sparked a new-found internet conversation about the desire for a third film in the beloved franchise. For now, horror fans are just enjoying Lillard’s return to the genre with FNAF. The actor has been making the rounds at various horror cons in the last decade, meeting his endless number of fans as well.

When Does ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ Release?

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will be released in theaters on December 5, 2025, after the first film made a killing of over $295 million at the worldwide box office. FNAF is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and is available to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD. While fans wait for Lillard to return to the franchise, you can view his reunion with Scooby-Doo below.