Wanna Play? Syfy Is Developing a ‘Chucky’ Series
Ever since he debuted in the cult-classic 1988 horror film Child’s Play, the demonic doll Chucky — a sometimes (when he’s not murdering people) cherubic-looking, red-haired, freckle-faced plaything inhabited by the soul of notorious serial killer Charles Lee Ray — has been hard to stop, both in his onscreen slashing and via his continuing franchise of films (the original movie spawned six sequels, and a reboot of Child’s Play hits theaters this June).
Over the past three decades, Chucky has had a bride, a “seed,” and now … a TV series. Syfy announced today that it has landed the rights to develop Chucky. And if you liked what you saw in the films, you’ll be glad to know that this small-screen entry features the core creative talent that was behind each Chucky movie.
Chief among them: The series will be executive-produced by original franchise creator Don Mancini. Mancini wrote all of the Chucky films, and directed three of them. He will also write the Chucky series.
“I’ve long wanted to bring Chucky to television and Syfy is the perfect network for us,” said Mancini in a release. “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.”
Another member of the film franchise’s creative team coming onboard for this small-screen installment is executive producer David Kirshner, who produced all of the Chucky films. Rounding out the EPs is Nick Antosca (Hulu’s The Act).
“I worked with Don on Hannibal and on Channel Zero for Syfy, so developing Chucky with UCP really feels like coming home,” said Antosca. “Syfy is the perfect place to tell the next chapter in the Chucky saga and having the original creative team lead the project will help elevate the story we are excited to tell.”
There was no word in Syfy’s release if this series will tie in with the new Child’s Play coming to the big screen this summer. There also was no indication at this point about casting.
When talk of a Child’s Play series started popping up last year, it sounded like Brad Dourif would be back to voice Chucky, and if the series is getting behind-the-scenes creative talent together, we really hope they continue that onscreen with a key talent like Dourif. The actor has spoken the words of the evil toy from the beginning, and it probably wouldn’t be as impactful a series without his distinctive contribution.
In the meantime, you can go ahead and just imagine this quote from “Chucky” that was included in Syfy’s press release being read in Dourif’s voice:
“In these troubled times, I believe it’s my obligation as a horror icon to reach the widest possible audience, on TV,” said Chucky. “For over thirty years, I’ve been scaring the sh*t out of you. But now at Syfy, I look forward to really making a difference.”
Chucky, Coming Soon, Syfy
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