There’s just something so unsettling about dolls. Well before Chucky became an over the top caricature of himself in later films (which happens to many a slasher icon), the original Child’s Play trilogy created a fascinating and genuinely scary monster with its “kid’s toy possessed by a serial killer” named Chucky.
As we know generally happens to horror classics, Child’s Play is getting a remake. We know quite a few details about it already, but today we got the first image of the little homicidal doll, direct from Orion Pictures’ Twitter. Check it out:
Wanna play? Your best friend is getting an update. #ChildsPlayMovie 🔪 pic.twitter.com/n435K8PiUR
— Orion Pictures (@OrionPictures) September 21, 2018
By contrast, here’s Chucky as he appeared in the original Child’s Play:
It looks like they aren’t changing much of the look from the original. Bright blue eyes, red hair, and even the little freckles under the eyes are all accounted for. About the only difference that’s readily apparent is their attempt to make him have a bit more human-like features – the bags under the eyes, the more lifelike contours around his nose and mouth, etc.
This remake of Child’s Play is a bit of an odd one – producer Seth Grahame-Smith (The LEGO Batman Movie, IT, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) reached out to the original Child’s Play creator, Don Mancini to play a role in the creation of the remake. Mancini turned him down and plans to continue working on his own version of the story. He has made seven films in the Child’s Play series, with the last being 2017’s Cult of Chucky.
In the original film, Chucky is a “Good Guy Doll,” a toy that a mother buys for her son as a present. The doll she purchased is actually possessed by the soul of a serial killer, who begins a new reign of terror in the plastic body. We don’t know how close the remake will stick to the original story, but Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) has been cast as the lead role. Atlanta‘s Brian Tyree Henry has also been cast in an unspecified role.
One role that has not been cast yet is the voice of Chucky. He was voiced by Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Lord of the Rings) in every previous Child’s Play film, but it seems unlikely the Dourif will be taking on the iconic role in this reimagining.
Child’s Play has is expected to release sometime in 2019 – I would guess sometime around Halloween. We will have more information on the film as it becomes available.
