Witness the Child’s Play FX team bringing Chucky to life in a new BTS promo

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Orion Pictures has unleashed a new behind-the-scenes video for Lars Klevberg's upcoming CHILD'S PLAY reboot that takes an in-depth look at the process of bringing the iconic murder doll to life on the big screen. Much like Gabriel Batemen, who plays Andy Barclay in the film, I'd assumed that Chucky would arrive as a CGI character. However, to mine and Bateman's surprise, the effects team over at Maters FX have created six animatronic dolls to act as the pint-sized prick, each capable of executing a range of emotions, movements, and murdery intentions.

"When I saw the Chucky doll I was kinda impressed with how realistic he looks, how he can convey emotion," says Brian Tyree Henry in the video, who plays Detective Mike Norris in the upcoming slasher.

"A big part of getting Chucky right was having animatronics be a lot of the times we see Chucky," producer David Katzenberg comments, emphasizing how important it was to the team to have Chucky be as lifelike as possible for his new killing spree.

 "The internal structure is a series of animatronics that help move the joints. He has a plastic exoskeleton that we put on top of the animatronics. The skins are made of foam latex, the eyes will be replaced with digital movement, and then we dress his costume from the top down," Jason Ward, a Puppeteer at MastersFX, reveals in the video.

As you can see from the behind-the-scenes footage, Masters FX and Orion are working diligently to make certain that their revamped version of the classic CHILD'S PLAY character is just as menacing as his original incarnation – despite the doll now being an always-online play-pal. It should be interesting to see how Chucky's new capabilities lend to him tracking his victims as well as coming back for the inevitable sequel.

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

After moving to a new city, young Andy Barclay receives a special present from his mother — a seemingly innocent Buddi doll that becomes his best friend. When the doll suddenly takes on a life of its own, Andy unites with other neighborhood children to stop the sinister toy from wreaking bloody havoc.

Directed by Lars Klevberg (POLAROID, THE WALL) from a script penned by Tyler Burton Smith and based on characters created by Don Mancini, CHILD'S PLAY stars Aubrey Plaza, Tim Matheson, Brian Tyree Henry, Gabriel Bateman, and Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky.

CHILD'S PLAY will arrive in theaters on June 19.