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It wasn't exactly a surprise when the first Five Nights at Freddy's movie revealed that Matthew Lillard's character, billed in previews as Steve Raglan, was actually William Afton, the child-murdering madman who was ultimately responsible for the haunted entertainment center. But surprise or not, the casting was widely praised by fans of the franchise. So when a sequel was announced, those fans were quick to ask whether or not Lillard was returning. Not only do we know the answer to be yes, but now, we know when the Scooby Doo actor will start work on the sequel.

The info came to us via Collider, who sat down with Lillard for an interview published October 4. "So this morning, I got a text with my dates," Lillard said, "So my dates are the beginning of November and another series of dates. So, we’re going to work. I'm really thrilled. I think the script’s fantastic."

As of this writing, that start is just three weeks away, which should excited anybody even casually interested in the franchise. But if you're only familiar with the films, you may be wondering: doesn't William Afton die in Five Nights at Freddy's?

Well, yes, but the thing is, death isn't exactly. a final thing at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place. As you'll recall from our breakdown of all of the animatronics appearing in the Five Nights at Freddy's film, the macabre mannequins are powered less by electricity and more by the spirits of those whose bodies have been imprisoned in them. And as you'll recall from the end of the first movie, William Afton is very much stuck in his Sringtrap suit.

In the rest of the interview, Lillard praises the director of both the first film and its sequel, Emma Tammi, and their leading man, Josh Hutcherson. "[Tammi's] great," he said, "She’s really lovely. And Josh is great. The whole cast is great, and I think we're all excited to come back. I think we learned a lot in the first film. I think the second film is going to sort of benefit from those things. We're all excited about where the movie is at right now."

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is slated to hit theaters December 5, 2025. The first film is streaming on Amazon Prime now.

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." We couldn't agree more, which is why we think you should check out horror aficionado Greg Silber's list of the best horror movies of all time. Or, if you've already seen those classics, check out our list of the most underrated horror movies from the past couple years. And if you've already seen all of those, Let us tell you what to look forward to (or dread) in Popverse's list of upcoming horror movies.