Five Nights At Freddy’s Causes Chuck E. Cheese To Remove All Animatronics?

While the timing might just be a coincidence, this announcement comes just a few weeks after the horror movie Five Nights at Freddy’s hit theaters.

The Blumhouse horror film takes a lot of inspiration from the Chuck E. Cheese chain and features similar animatronic characters with a more sinister twist.

Chuck E. Cheese’s Munch’s Make Believe Band features Mr. Munch on keyboards, Jasper T. Jowls on guitar, Helen Henny on vocals, and Pasqually on drums.

Chuck E. Cheese explained that the company continues to renovate its fun centers nationwide to incorporate features like new state-of-the-art interactive dance floors, giant video walls and screens, popular kid-focused arcade games, and new trampoline zones.

Fans of the original band (and Five Nights at Freddy’s fans) can still check out the band at the Northridge, California, location where the band will have a permanent residency.

Since Chuck E. Cheese appeals mostly to younger kids, it does make sense that the Five Nights at Freddy’s-like animatronics are being removed from the company’s ongoing strategy.

As mentioned, the horror movie follows a security guard surviving nights in the restaurant as these haunted animatronics hunt him down. The film is based on the wildly popular video game series of the same name.

The Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series was first released in 2014 and has since grown to have a massive worldwide fanbase, with many watching YouTube and Twitch streams of influencers playing the games.

The player typically takes the role of a nighttime employee in a fictional family pizza restaurant franchise named “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza” where players must use various tools, security cameras, lights, vents, and more to avoid and defend themselves against the animatronics.

The game has since spawned multiple sequels, spin-offs, and even a novel series.

The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie has been in the works since 2015 and was finally released this year on October 27.

The film was directed by Emma Tammi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback. It stars Hunger Games’ Josh Hutcherson with Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Matthew Lillard. 

While reviews of Five Nights at Freddy’s were generally negative, the film was still an impressive box-office success.

It pulled in a strong $252 million worldwide against a budget of $20 million, meaning it wouldn’t be surprising if we see some sequels in the near future.

Which makes Chuck E. Cheese’s decision to pull animatronics was a seemingly good idea.

In any case, Chuck E. Cheese seems to be making a pretty big pivot overall, regardless of the Five Nights at Freddy’s factor.

The company is promising more exciting announcements in the lead-up to its 50th anniversary in 2027, showing that the brand seems to be embracing its innovative side to keep up with the demands of its customers.

At this point in time, the company has over 550 locations across the US and in 17 countries worldwide.