Director and co-writer Emma Tammi was keen to make her new film, Five Nights At Freddy’s, accessible for younger viewers too.
Adapted from the ridiculously successful and popular series of video games, Five Nights At Freddy’s is, after years and years of development, in cinemas.
The film was rated PG-13 earlier this year, a move that raised concerns with the fanbase. PG–13 horror films don’t have the best reputation and it’s often seen as a crutch for filmmakers, a financially-motivated measure to increase a film’s audience while severely limiting a filmmaker’s vision.
In our exclusive interview with the director and co-writer of the new film, Emma Tammi is keen to tell her side of the story. A PG-13 rating was always planned and the production worked together with the MPAA to achieve that.
“It was, early on, the priority to be able to include the younger fanbase, as well as the older fans. It would have been a lost opportunity to exclude them.”
Credit: Universal Pictures
Tammi mentions that the Blumhouse-backed production shared storyboards with the MPAA to ensure they were executing her and franchise creator Scott Cawthon’s vision accurately without risking an R-rating.
She also challenges the notion that PG-13 is something to fear as a filmmaker.
“For me, PG-13 lends an interesting creative challenge in finding ways that were less obvious to show and indicate the violence that ensues at certain parts of the film. And I think that’s more interesting at times. You can see all the guts in the gore and that, of course, is totally fun and has its place, but it’s more obvious.”
For Tammi, this younger, scare-hungry audience has a lot of “untapped potential” and films made with them in mind would be “very successful.”
Tammi also said many other fascinating things in our interview with her and you can read it right here.
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