The Five Nights At Freddy’s Movie Is Inspired By Joker And Steven Spielberg, Director Says

For the mood and visuals of the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy’s film adaptation, obviously, a lot of that was pulled from the original best-selling game, but there were a few more elements that the film drew from that made it the final product.

In a recent interview with Total Film, director Emma Tammi said that she was influenced by Todd Phillips’ Oscar-winning Joker and Steven Spielberg’s filmography.

“We were constantly referencing Steven Spielberg–you know, that childhood wonderment quality alongside kind of a darker world that felt akin to Joker,” Tammi explained (via GamesRadar) how she wanted to channel the kind of chaos that Joker put on the screen.

“Those were some of the cinematography references that Lyn Moncrief and I were pulling. Also, just the haunted house element of it was such a big influence. Some of our scenes that have to do with our main character’s backstory and memory were also influenced by a [Terrence] Malick-esque camera style, to give them a more dreamlike quality,” the direction continued. “Those scenes that were taking place in forest campground settings. There were a lot of different types of references we were pulling to really craft something that felt unique.”

Created by Scott Cawthon, Five Night at Freddy’s was released on August 8, 2014, and soon became a worldwide critical hit. The movie adaptation follows security guard Mike (Josh Hutcherson) who gets more than he bargained for when he takes a nightshift job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. The film also stars Elizabeth Lail (Netflix’s You) and horror movie icon, Matthew Lillard.

Five Night at Freddy’s hits theaters on October 27.