FNAF: Did Bonnie give Scott Cawthon nightmares? Explained

Scott Cawthon's iconic video game series Five Nights At Freddy's has become synonymous with terrifying games and spooky animatronics. However, many fans of the franchise are unaware that the inventor of these fearsome characters had a nightmare involving one of his designs.

Five Nights at Freddy's, a supernatural horror film released in 2023, is based on the well-known video game franchise created by Scott Cawthon. Josh Hutcherson is a security officer at an abandoned family amusement facility in Emma Tammi's film, which follows him as he meets deadly robotic mascots.

---

Scott Cawthon’s Five Nights At Freddy’s nightmare: He saw Bonnie standing in his hallway

Scott Cawthon, a developer initially focused on creating family-friendly games, found himself propelled into cult stardom with Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF). This unexpected success led to a peculiar nightmare involving his animatronic creations, especially Bonnie.

American video game developer and FNAF creator Scott Cawthon (Image via FreshersLive)

According to a Five Nights at Freddy's Wiki post, which cites a comment about Cawthon in a now-deleted forum thread, Cawthon's nightmare was exceptionally vivid. In the dream, he encountered Bonnie standing ominously in the hallway outside his bedroom.

To his horror, he had to hold the door shut to prevent Bonnie from entering. The nightmare was so elaborate that it included game mechanics, with Cawthon realizing Bonnie had already made it inside, mirroring the gameplay mechanics of the series.

Fans of the series have speculated that Cawthon's nightmare may have played a role in inspiring the fourth installment of Five Nights at Freddy's, which notably deviates from the series' traditional settings.

FNAF 4 is set in the bedroom of a house infested with nightmarish versions of the animatronics, and the gameplay even involves holding doors closed to survive.

A scene from FNAF featuring Bonnie (Image via IMDb)

Scott Cawthon's enduring dedication to the franchise and his creative integrity are evident in his willingness to keep developing the series. Despite the subsequent sequels not matching the groundbreaking impact of the original game, Cawthon's respect for his material keeps the fear factor alive and ensures that even Bonnie can still terrify him.

---

Five Nights at Freddy's: The plot

The film's plot unfolds as the guard, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), takes the job to support his sister Abby and unravels the dark mysteries surrounding the restaurant, including the disappearance of five children. The animatronics come to life, and Mike must confront their sinister nature to protect Abby.

The film's development faced numerous changes over the years, with different production companies and directors involved. Blumhouse Productions finally made it, and it was released in October 2023. The critical response was mixed, but the general audience responded positively.

Mike's interactions with the possessed animatronics, his efforts to discover the truth about the missing children, and his final fight with the malignant entity controlling the animatronics, are all shown in the narrative.

The movie ends with a rescue operation to retrieve Abby from the haunting animatronics and a final struggle to overcome the demonic entity behind the haunted animatronics.

Scott Cawthon's terrifying dream of Bonnie is a testament to the unexpected and lasting impact of the franchise. With more games, books, and a film in the works, it's clear that the nightmare-inducing animatronics of Five Nights at Freddy's are here to stay, making fans and even the creator sleep with one eye open.

Viewers can watch the movie on the streaming platform Peacock.