The 1980s introduced several horror characters that have remained popular in the decades since, including Charles "Chucky" Ray, the serial killer whose soul was transferred to a Good Guy doll. The first Child's Play movie just barely made the cutoff in 1988, and six more movies followed between 1990 and 2017. The latest installment, Cult of Chucky, certainly paved the way for another follow-up, but it's being reported that instead, the next Chucky movie will be a reboot of the 1988 original.
Lars Klevberg, the director of the upcoming Polaroid, has been tapped to direct the Child's Play reboot for MGM, using a script written by Kung Fury's Tyler Burton Smith. IT producers David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith are attached to produce, and Aaron Schmidt will executive produce. While no official plot details for the Child's Play reboot have been revealed, Collider also mentioned in its report that this will be a contemporary story "involving a group of kids (a la Stranger Things), and a technologically-advanced doll that enters their world." Assuming this information is legitimate, even though this doll will presumably still be called Chucky, he'll have a lot more capabilities than his predecessor, which no doubt means killing will be even easier. There's also no word on if longtime Chucky voice actor Brad Dourif will be brought back for the new Child's Play or, as is often the case with reboots, a new actor will be hired to breathe life into the character.
While the original Child's Play movie rested comfortably in the horror genre, the Chucky series became more comical with each passing movie, to the point that Chucky eventually had a wife and son. If I had to guess, I presume that this Child's Play reboot will be a more straightforward horror film (though with some elements of dark humor mixed in), and just like what happened 30 years ago, a serial killer will have his soul transferred into the doll, thus allowing him to continue his murderous spree in an even freakier way.
It's important to mention that this isn't the only Chucky project currently in development. Last week, it was confirmed by franchise creator Don Mancini that a Chucky TV series is on the way. Unlike the Child's Play reboot, however, this TV show sounds like it will be a continuation of the previous Chucky movies, with Brad Dourif returning to voice the character. Just like how Ash vs. Evil Dead followed after the original Evil Dead trilogy, this Chucky TV series is the next chapter of the original Chucky continuity. So whether you prefer the classic version of the killer doll or would like a fresh take on the mythology, now both bases are covered.
The Child's Play reboot doesn't have an assigned release date yet, but reportedly MGM has fast-tracked the project and intends to begin production in September. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates as they come in, and be sure to plan your trips to the theater this year accordingly by looking through our 2018 release schedule.
