Chucky is coming to TV. Fans were made aware of that a while ago. Back in June, Child's Play creator Don Mancini dropped news of the project. Roughly half a year later, fans are learning more, including how the TV show will honor the movies. Mancini said:
One of the things that has kept the franchise alive and thriving for so long is that we've reinvented it in different ways, by making it a comedy, and then back to horror. But the sheer storytelling real estate of doing eight to 10 episodes... will allow us to delve into characters and relationships in a way that we're never afforded in just a 90-minute movie. That's really exciting to me. We're going to be able to explore different avenues with different characters that are among fan favorites. A lot of times people will say, 'What's Tiffany's backstory?' and 'What about Glen or Glenda?' All these different avenues. Now we have a way of exploring all of this, and that's really exciting.
This sounds like a good plan, as room to expand stories is the beauty of television. Don Mancini's comments in his interview on Post Mortem with Mick Garris reflect why that is true. The format of a TV show expanding a franchise is more popular than it has ever been due in part to its ability to bring audiences closer to their favorite characters.
Don Mancini is entirely on the ball about television giving the Child's Play franchise a more expansive playground to explore. It sounds as though fans will be learning more about their favorite characters, including their backstories. That's always a fun thing to get.
The franchise is currently under a big screen revamp with a movie remake on the horizon. This one will see Chucky donning a new look. With nostalgia as popular as ever, a remake and a television show seem like smart moves.
Don Mancini also dished some behind-the-scenes details, discussing what it will feel like to collaborate on the upcoming series. Mancini opened up about the difference of working on a feature film versus a television series, saying:
One of the things I really loved about working in television was the social aspect of it. Because when you write features, it's so damn lonely and terrifying. When I first came to work on Hannibal, it was my first experience with the writers' room. I'm like, 'Wait a minute, every day, we come into a room with a group of other like-minded horror fanatics, and we talk about Hannibal all day, and we get paid for it?' This didn't seem like work to me. And so, doing that with Chucky seems really fun, and I am really excited about inviting other very talented writers to come into it, and see what they will bring to it at this stage.
Don Mancini is ready to collaborate! Exploring Child's Play in the television format is going to open a lot of creative doors. It has the potential to dig into some fresh territory. Where it ends up airing will be interesting to follow. Based on what Mancini has shared, the TV series seems like it is still in the early stages.
More info will inevitably be forthcoming as the series gets further underway. Horror on television has been and remains popular. The genre is currently going strong with Ryan Murphy's anthology, American Horror Story, among others. Bringing in horror fans does not seem to be the Child's Play TV show's central objective.
The series should be a particularly special treat for diehard fans of the long-running film franchise. Sadly for Don Mancini and enthusiasts of the original, the remake will not feature his involvement.
If the movie ends up being a hit at the box office, new fans could be gathering around to watch the originals to see how they compare. It should also vitalize interest in the television show. Don Mancini previously worked on the television adaptation of Hannibal.
It seems like Child's Play is gearing up to do something along the lines of what Bates Motel did for Psycho: taking the overarching premise and then breaking that down into a character-driven horror drama.
A premiere date for the Child's Play television show has not been unveiled yet. In the meantime, horror movie fans can continue enjoying this fall's new TV content and the midseason's.
