Watch composer Bear McCreary perform the bone-chilling Child’s Play theme

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Very early on in my childhood, my mother gave me a Jaymar Table Top Child's Toy Piano. Built in the 1950s and handed down throughout the generations, this precious instrument was 30 keys of awesome … until I worked it into submission. Throughout the years, the dulcet tones of the piano warped and curdled, giving the music it produced a spook factor unlike any instrument I've ever heard. Truth be told. I still have my Jaymar, and every now and then, I tickle a few of its ivories just to hear its sweet and sadistic sounds. It's the type of instrument that I think composer Bear McCreary would love to have in his arsenal, though I know for a fact that he has his own methods of making bone-chilling sounds with a myraid of instruments that are in better shape than my Jaymar.

Today Entertainment Weekly has shared a music video for Bear McCreary's CHILD'S PLAY theme. As the video plays on and the spine-tingling theme haunts the air around you, you can witness Bear playing a multitude of instruments as the intimidating piece comes together. McCreary also steps behind the microphone for the terrifying tune, letting loose his inner demon child as he "la la las" over the song's delicate keys, sinewy strings, and wicked wood instruments.

You can view the video for Bear McCreary's CHILD'S PLAY theme below:

Included alongside the video is an in-depth interview with McCreary which focuses on his creating music for director Lars Klevberg's CHILD'S PLAY. Throughout their talk, the HELL FEST and GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS composer explains how he was intimidated to take on the CHILD'S PLAY project:

“I knew the classic films and originally I was a little hesitant to get involved in the new one, because of my appreciation for the old franchise,” McCreary told EW. “I agreed to watch the new one and immediately I was really struck by the storytelling, by the take on the material, by the unique spin on it, and the sophisticated filmmaking on display. What sealed the deal for me was talking with Lars Klevberg, the director, and realizing that we were just talking about all of my favorite movies over and over as his reference points. I realized, this is a guy that I would get along with, and I signed up immediately.”

Shortly after McCreary explained his journey toward becoming the composer for Chucky's latest playdate in theaters, Bear was asked to detail his elaborate and unsual approach to creating the score for CHILD'S PLAY:

"One thing that I decided to try was to score the entire film with toys. I eventually formed a group of toys that I called my Toy Orchestra. It was toy pianos, toy xylophones, plastic guitars. I raided my daughter’s playroom and got little action figures that make clicking sounds, I got toy drums, anything that made a sound. Then, I augmented that with just weird handheld instruments that I could play myself: Accordions, hurdy gurdys, melodica, pocket synthesizers, Otamatones. Really strange sounds," said McCreay.

He then continued, "I assembled them all together and wanted them to be the foundation of this score, and in fact, I wanted to avoid entirely anything resembling a traditional orchestra, and in that, I succeeded. 95 percent of what you hear in Child’s Play is me, performing something, or singing in my own studio, layering it over and over and over to create the sensation of an orchestra filled with toys, and I augmented that with a little bit of a string quintet, for some of the more emotional passages. I sometimes come up with my best ideas when I set myself unusual limitations, and here, completely removing the ability to use an orchestra, or use orchestral techniques, I had to get inventive. I really had the time of my life."

For more on Bear's creative process, be sure to check out EW's full interview here.

The upcoming film written by Tyler Burton Smith and based on characters created by Don Mancini stars Aubrey Plaza (PARKS AND RECREATION, LEGION), Brian Tyree Henry (SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, HOTEL ARTEMIS), Gabriel Bateman (LIGHTS OUT, PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE), Tim Matheson (ANIMAL HOUSE, THE WST WING), and Mark Hamill (BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE) as the voice of Chucky.

Here's the official synopsis for CHILD'S PLAY:

A contemporary re-imagining of the 1988 horror classic, CHILD’S PLAY follows Karen (Aubrey Plaza), a single mother who gifts her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) a Buddi doll, unaware of its more sinister nature.

CHILD'S PLAY will toddle into theaters on June 21st.