In some good news for Child's Play fans, the infamous killer doll who terrorizes his way through the franchise is coming back yet again– this time in SYFY’s upcoming series Chucky. The new series will bring together Don Mancini, the creator behind the original Child’s Play, and Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly, the duo that brought Chucky and Tiffany to life in the original film and its many sequels.
Like numerous other series and films, Chucky faced disruptions to its filming and production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the challenges of the pandemic have delayed work on the project, Chucky is scheduled to be released this year, and those involved remain hopeful that it will be ready in time for a 2021 premiere.
Fans and critics have high hopes for the upcoming SYFY series, after a 2019 reboot of Child’s Play received mixed reviews. Unlike the 2019 film, which went back to the start to reimagine Chucky as a high-tech doll, SYFY’s upcoming series promises to expand into new territory by building on the foundations laid by previous films.
First startling movie-goers in the 1988 Child’s Play, Chucky continued to menace audiences through six more sequels, before his 2019 reboot. Over the course of the six sequels, Chucky tormented an assortment of unfortunate individuals, with the help of his bride Tiffany, and eventually their son Glen. The slasher franchise capitalized on its winning formula of horror and dark humor to keep fans coming back for more.
Related: The 7 Scariest Dolls from Horror Movies
Now presented as a television series, the franchise will return in a new format that comes with new possibilities. Mancini expressed his excitement about the project, saying "I've long wanted to bring Chucky to television… The show will be a fresh take on the franchise, allowing us to explore Chucky's character with a depth that is uniquely afforded by the television series format, while staying true to the original vision that has terrorized audiences for over three decades now."
The coming series will center on the mayhem that ensues after Chucky appears at a yard sale in a blissful suburban town. Following his appearance, the town is rocked by a string of violent murders that begin to unearth the town’s dark secrets. Adding to the excitement, all sorts of figures from Chucky’s past emerge and begin to reveal his sinister backstory, tracing just how an ordinary child morphed into a sadistic villain.
The teaser trailer below offers a very brief glimpse of the upcoming season.
As mentioned before, Don Mancini is highly involved in Chucky. He not only wrote the adaptation for the series, but also is the showrunner and director for its first episode, as well as an executive producer. He is joined by executive producers David Kirschner, Nick Antosca, and Harley Peyton.
As for the cast, there are still many questions about who might fill roles alongside Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly. Similarly, fans are also awaiting news on an exact release date.
Though some questions about the finer details still linger, the pieces that have come together so far suggest a very exciting return for Chucky. As the infamous doll said himself, “a true classic never goes out of style.”
Featured still: “Chucky” via Universal Content Productions.
