Springlocked is a 2027 American supernatural action horror film directed by Robert Eggers and written by him, Scott Cawthon and Christian Bale from a story by Cawthon based on the Springtrap character from the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise. It is first installment in the William Afton trilogy. The film stars Bale as William Afton / Springtrap, while Cara Delevingne stars in the main role as Charlotte Emily, along with Abigail Breslin, Andrew Lincoln, Kelly Reilly, Joe Keery, Rosamund Pike, and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Charlotte, a traumatized FBI agent who as a child was almost murdered outside a pizzeria, is forced to face her fears when a serial killer from her own past emerges in the form of an old Spring Bonnie animatronic suit. Springlocked had its world premiere at the 84th Venice International Film Festival on November 6th, 2027 and was released theatrically on December 9th; despite being widely acclaimed by fans and audiences, it received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the visual style, action sequences, storyline, VFX, atmosphere, stunts, originality, the performances of Bale and Delevingne, and Hans Zimmer's musical score, but criticized the heavy emphasis on fan service, the overly dark tone, portrayal of the Afton family, and graphic violence, while its R-rating divided critics. This film became a subject to controversy, as fans and audiences defended the film due to their positive feedback, while critics lashed out at them over this. A sequel, Springlocked II, was released the following year.
