Regardless of whether or not 2019's Child's Play reboot ends up inspiring its own cinematic universe, franchise creator Don Mancini is making sure his upcoming TV offshoot Chucky has as much in common with his original vision as possible. (Well, except for the way the Syfy and USA series will be changing up the mythology, but more on that below.) Get ready for the titular horror icon to be as memorable as ever on the small screen, because actor Brad Dourif is returning to the franchise to supply his signature vocal talents.
When Chucky arrives in 2021, Brad Dourif will have portrayed the most evil of all evil toys across 5 different decades, mindbogglingly enough. Having started things off with Don Mancini back in 1988 for the original Child's Play, Dourif returned for Child's Play 2, 3 and Bride of Chucky in the 1990s, for Seed of Chucky in 2004, and for both Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky in the 2010s. Not many other horror icons can boast the same kind of streak, so it's awesome that fans will be getting the purest form of Chucky in his next outing.
Although based on the recently unveiled logline, Brad Dourif's latest take on Chucky will present a mythology shift for fans to dig into. As viewers are well aware, Chucky was introduced as a doll possessed by the spirit of serial killer Charles Lee Ray (played by Dourif). That origin was maintained throughout all of the following films, save for the remake, in which Mark Hamill's Chucky becomes murderous due to tainted A.I. But check out the recently released logline for the TV show, which introduces a new piece to the puzzle.
In the new Chuckytelevision series, after a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets. Meanwhile, the arrival of enemies — and allies — from Chucky’s past threatens to expose the truth behind the killings, as well as the demon doll's untold origins as a seemingly ordinary child who somehow became this notorious monster.
While this new series won't necessarily retcon the Child's Play origin story, it sounds like Don Mancini is taking this opportunity to really explore a new avenue with Chucky. In the first place, it'll be strange to witness the idea that Chucky used to be a real child, or was based on a child? Is it going to be a reverse-Pinocchio situation? Will Brad Dourif be tasked with voicing a young kid?
As well, it sounds like the show will be just as much about the town at the center of Chucky as it will be about the killer doll himself. The franchise notably started off set in Chicago, but perhaps the TV show will set up this franchise's version of Halloween's Haddonfield or Nightmare on Elm Street's Springwood.
Having stated his career with his Oscar-nominated performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Brad Dourif has stayed active in the industry across the past 45 years. Mostly recently, he was seen in films such as 2018's fantasy horror Wildling. On the small screen, Dourif made a long-awaited reprisal of Doc Cochran for HBO's Deadwood: The Movie in 2019.
Chucky was set to go into production this summer, but filming lockdowns have stopped that from happening, but hope is alive for everything to get started as soon as possible. The show is set to premiere on both USA and Syfy in 2021, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates and to see what will be showing up on TV in the months before the new year arrives.
