It's been a while since the long-in-gestation Five Nights at Freddy's movie appeared to be any closer to reaching the big screen, but there finally seems to be movement; Home Alone and Harry Potter director Chris Columbus is now confirmed to be helming the film adaptation.

A Five Nights at Freddy's movie was first touted back in 2015, when Warner Bros. revealed that it had acquired the rights to produce a film adaptation of the mindbogglingly popular horror game property. At the time, producer Seth Grahame-Smith said that the studio was looking to make "an insane, terrifying and weirdly adorable movie" in conjunction with original game creator Scott Cawthon.

However, in January last year, Cawthon posted to Steam announcing that due to "several delays and roadblocks, some involving problems within the movie industry as a whole", the Five Nights at Freddy's movie was "back at square one." As far as Cawthon was concerned though, this was a positive: "it's good because I want to make sure that the right movie gets made, and things are on track right now for that to happen."

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He also expressed his desire to be more far more involved with the movie "from day one this time, and that's something extremely important to me. I want this movie to be something that I'm excited for the fanbase to see."

Several months later Cawthon tweeted that the Five Nights at Freddy's movie was now in the hands of Blumhouse Productions - the company best known for its work on low-budget, high-profile horror movies like Get Out, Insidious, The Purge, and Paranormal Activity.

The latest news on the project, as reported by Deadline, is that Chris Columbus has signed on to write, direct, and produce Blumhouse's screen adaptation. Columbus has an impressive, decades-spanning Hollywood resume, with directing credits on the likes of Home Alone, and the first two Harry Potter films - not to mention writing credits on The Goonies, Gremlins, Young Sherlock Holmes, and more. As per his pledge to remain closely involved with the development of a Five Nights at Freddy's movie adaptation, Cawthon will also produce.

There's no word yet on when we can expect to see the fruits of this partnership, but it certainly sounds like Five Nights at Freddy's movie adaptation is finally back on track.