It was only a matter of time before the saga of everyone’s favorite murderous animatronic doll got the remake treatment, and now the first trailer for the re-imagined Child’s Play has arrived, offering a tech-fueled spin on the story of pint-sized killer Chucky.
MGM and Orion Pictures released the Child’s Play trailer on Friday, February 8. Set to Harry Nilsson’s popular 1969 song Best Friend, the preview introduces a new, high-tech version of the doll that will inevitably terrorize the film’s human characters in increasingly gruesome ways.
Directed by Lars Klevberg (Polaroid) from a script penned by Tyler Burton Smith and inspired by the original film, Child’s Play stars Aubrey Plaza (Legion, Parks and Recreation) and Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), with Plaza portraying a mother who gives her son a new, A.I.-driven toy doll for his birthday. No stranger to horror roles, Lights Out actor Gabriel Bateman plays Andy Barclay, the kid who discovers his new toy has gone dangerously haywire and is leaving a trail of bodies in its wake.
Instead of being possessed by the spirit of a serial killer, the new Chucky doll will reportedly be driven by defective programming that has made it not only murderous, but capable of learning beyond the limitations of other dolls.
The film’s supporting cast also includes young actors Beatrice Kitsos (The Exorcist) and Ty Consiglio (Wonder), as well as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actress Carlease Burke.
The remake of Child’s Play is produced by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith, the same duo that produced 2018’s record-breaking horror film It, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name and now the highest-grossing horror movie of all time.
The first Child’s Play was released in 1988 and went on to earn $44.2 million over the course of its theatrical run. Its success spawned four theatrical sequels, including 1998’s Bride of Chucky, which pivoted the franchise toward more humorous elements and featured an impressive cast that included John Ritter, Jennifer Tilly, and Katherine Heigl. Bride of Chucky ended up becoming the highest-grossing installment of the franchise, with $50.7 million worldwide. Brad Dourif famously (or perhaps infamously) provided the voice of Chucky for the original film and each of its sequels.
Two more sequels — 2013’s Curse of Chucky and 2017’s Cult of Chucky — were released as direct-to-video installments and pivoted back toward a more straightforward horror tone.
Child’s Play is scheduled to hit theaters June 21.
