"Hi, I'm Chucky, and I'm your friend till the end. Hidey-ho!" Ugh, I can still recall the first time I heard those words, and how terrified I was of the seemingly adorable killer that, in time, would go on to become a horror icon for the ages. Truth be told, I still have nightmares about Chucky. Oh, it's nothing serious, but every now and again, the little overall-wearing, red-headed menace makes an appearance, just to let me know that he's still thinking about me.
Today, Collider has exclusively reported that LEGION's Aubrey Plaza and ATLANTA's Brain Tyree Henry are in talks to star in MGM's planned reboot of the "Good Guy gone bad" horror film that left children thinking twice about sharing a bed with even their most beloved stuffies. Remember the My Buddy and Kid Sister doll line from Hasbro? Yeah, they got a real bum wrap after Chucky became a thing. R.I.P., play pals.
Set to helm the reboot of CHILD'S PLAY is Lars Klevberg, whose feature-length directorial debut, POLAROID, isn't scheduled to arrive in theaters until sometime in 2019. Klevberg will be working from a script penned by Tyler Burton Smith (KUNG FURY 2) when he shoots a brand-new chapter of the killer doll saga. Meanwhile, David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith of KatzSmith Productions will produce, with plans to get cameras rolling quite soon in Vancouver.
Word on the street has Klevberg's version of CHILD'S PLAY focusing on a group of kids (because the success of STRANGER THINGS and IT will not be taken lightly) and a mysterious killer doll that haunts their every move. In the original 1988 movie directed by Tom Holland (no, not your friendly neighborhood spoiler spiller, the filmmaker) a single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer named Charles Lee Ray. Throughout the years, CHILD'S PLAY has grown into a legendary horror franchise that spans seven films, all of which are held in the highest regard by fans of the ridiculous, raunchy, and righteously bloody saga. So far, no details have emerged about the tone of Klevberg's version, though it's to be hoped that the reboot will mark a return to the franchise's darker beginnings.
According to Collider, Plaza is set to play the mother of one of the children involved in the supernatural ordeal, while Henry is thought to be playing a detective, though his role remains unconfirmed at this time. Personally, I'll watch Aubrey Plaza in anything, but after seeing her knock out performance in LEGION, I am more than ready to see her take the wheel of a new CHILD'S PLAY movie. Can you even imagine what she'd do to an evil doll that has the stuffing to call her a bitch? Oh man, I'm sure there's a fireplace with that little bastard's name on it, and Plaza's character is sure to find it.
Further casting announcements are expected to be revealed soon. In the meantime, are you excited by the thought of a new CHILD'S PLAY film? Do you think they'll change the nature of Chucky's character? If the movie centers on a group of kids, does that mean that there will be more than one Good Guy doll to go around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.