Matthew Lillard Reveals How “Scream” Costar Skeet Ulrich Got His “Five Nights at Freddy's 2” Role (Exclusive)

Matthew Lillard has been practicing his profession counseling skills.

Ahead of nan merchandise of Five Nights astatine Freddy’s 2, nan character reveals really he played a domiciled successful welcoming his erstwhile Scream costar Skeet Ulrich to nan world of evil animatronics. 

“When Scott [Cawthon] was considering who to formed for this domiciled that Skeet’s in, he started looking astir and considering who — benignant of a middle-aged man,” Lillard tells PEOPLE successful an exclusive interview, referring to nan creator of nan original Five Nights astatine Freddy’s game.

Lillard, 55, went connected to callback Cawthon asking him, “What’s Skeet for illustration to activity with? How is he arsenic a guy?" to which he responded pinch thing on nan lines of, “He’s a dream. He’s nan sweetest man around. He’s talented, and he cares profoundly astir fans.”

Beyond their history successful nan scary genre, having some portrayed nan killers down nan Ghostface disguise successful nan original 1996 movie Scream, Lillard says that he and Ulrich, 55, besides person thing typical successful communal pinch Cawthon.

“I deliberation that some of america attack fandom pinch emotion and admiration and appreciation,” nan actor, who precocious starred successful an ad for Exact Sciences' Cologuard test, explains.

“And I deliberation that really speaks to Scott, because he has that aforesaid affiliation pinch his fans. I deliberation that’s 1 of nan reasons he brought successful Skeet. And I deliberation Skeet knocked it retired of nan park. He’s awesome successful nan film, and I’m excited for group to spot it," continues Lillard.

As for what fans tin expect? For starters, Lillard teases that Cawthon and nan film’s director, Emma Scott, “listened to what fans had to say,” which was to yet make nan sequel moreover scarier than nan first installment. 

“We want much jump scares,” he emphasizes. “We want to beryllium successful nan assemblage and not only get lore from nan world, we want to beryllium filled pinch feelings. We want to consciousness nan movie for illustration we felt nan game.”

Adding that he precocious saw nan movie himself, Lillard gave it his stamp of approval. 

“I deliberation they did an unthinkable occupation executing connected that,” he says. “And I deliberation nan fans are going to suffer their minds. I deliberation nan movie is really fantastic.”

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Josh Hutcherson — who portrayed protagonist Mike Schmidt successful nan first movie alongside Lillard, Elizabeth Lail (Vanessa) and Piper Rubio (Abby) successful nan first movie — teased a fewer specifications astir nan task himself during a July 24 quality astatine San Diego Comic-Con. 

“Mike and Abby went done a batch successful nan first movie,” Hutcherson, 32, told nan crowd astatine nan time. “Mike is conscionable trying to find a unchangeable life. He wants to person a nice, calm, normal life. And that conscionable can’t happen. Poor Mike. He’s going done it."

Beyond “a batch much animatronics” and “bigger group pieces” this clip around, nan Hunger Games star besides assured fans that location would beryllium a batch much extent and emotion successful nan 2nd film. 

"The enslaved betwixt Mike and Abby is ace strong,” he added. “And they get to a spot wherever it’s moreover stronger.”

Five Nights astatine Freddy’s 2 will beryllium released successful theaters connected Dec. 5.