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''Child's Play'' (also known colloquially as ''Chucky'') is an American slasher
media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...
created by
Don Mancini George Donald Mancini (born January 25, 1963) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for creating and writing the Child's Play (franchise), ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present). Career Having been a horror ...
. The films primarily focus on Chucky (voiced by
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
in the original films and television series, and
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...
in the
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
), a notorious serial killer who frequently escapes death by performing a voodoo ritual to transfer his soul into a "Good Guy" doll. The original film, '' Child's Play'', was released on November 9, 1988. The film has spawned six sequels, a television series, a remake, comic books, a video game, and tie-in merchandise. The first, second, and fourth films were box office successes with all of the films earning over $182 million worldwide. Including revenues from sales of videos, DVDs, VOD and merchandise, the franchise has generated over $250 million. Several short films have been made featuring the Chucky character: on the DVD release of ''
Seed of Chucky ''Seed of Chucky'' is a 2004 black comedy slasher film. It is the fifth film in the ''Child's Play'' series, following ''Bride of Chucky''. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini in his directorial debut, and stars Jennifer Tilly, R ...
'', a short film entitled ''Chucky's Vacation Slides'', set after the shooting of the film, was included, and a series of short films inserting Chucky into the events of other horror films entitled ''Chucky Invades'' was released in the run-up to the release of '' Curse of Chucky''. On television, Chucky has appeared in commercials and also on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', with a separate voice actor voicing the character. Chucky appeared in a pre-taped segment during an October 1998 episode of
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
's ''
Monday Nitro ''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT in the United ...
'' program as a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
, taunting wrestler
Rick Steiner Robert Rechsteiner (born March 9, 1961) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Rick Steiner. Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he wa ...
who was a
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
at the time and promoting ''
Bride of Chucky ''Bride of Chucky'' is a 1998 American black comedy slasher film written by Don Mancini and directed by Ronny Yu. The fourth installment in the ''Child's Play'' franchise, it stars Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, John Ritter, Katherine Heigl, and ...
''. He later appeared on
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
's '' NXT'' program for the special "
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event currently produced by WWE. Since 2020, it has been held annually for the company's WWE brand extension, developmental brand, NXT (WWE ...
" episodes in October 2021 and 2022, in which Chucky served as a host to announce several of the matches. These appearances were to promote the '' Chucky'' television series, which began airing on October 12, 2021, on Syfy and
USA Network USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...
.


Films


''Child's Play'' (1988)

Directed by Tom Holland from a story by Holland, John Lafia, and Don Mancini, ''Child's Play'' was released on November 9, 1988. It was the first film in the series and the only film (not counting the 2019 reboot) to be distributed by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
/
United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...
before the franchise was sold to Universal Pictures. The film starred
Catherine Hicks Catherine Mary Hicks (born August 6, 1951) is an American retired actress. She played the character Annie Camden on the long-running television series '' 7th Heaven''. Other roles included Dr. Faith Coleridge on the soap opera ''Ryan's Hope'' ...
,
Chris Sarandon Christopher Sarandon (; born July 24, 1942) is an American actor. He is well known for playing Jerry Dandrige in '' Fright Night'' (1985), Prince Humperdinck in '' The Princess Bride'' (1987), Detective Mike Norris in '' Child's Play'' (1988), a ...
,
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
, and Alex Vincent in his first film performance. Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris, dying murderer Charles Lee Ray uses voodoo magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky—which Karen Barclay buys for her young son, Andy. When Chucky kills Andy's babysitter, the boy realizes the doll is alive and tries to warn people, but he's institutionalized. Now Karen must convince the detective of the murderous doll's intentions, before Andy becomes Chucky's next victim.


''Child's Play 2'' (1990)

Directed by
John Lafia John Lafia (April 2, 1957 – April 29, 2020) was an American film director and screenwriter. He was best known for co-writing the slasher film '' Child's Play'' (1988) with Don Mancini and Tom Holland. Career Lafia's first feature film was '' ...
, from a story by Don Mancini, and released on November 9, 1990, ''
Child's Play 2 ''Child's Play 2'' is a 1990 American slasher film and the direct sequel to '' Child's Play'', written by Don Mancini and directed by John Lafia, one of the co-writers of the first film. It is the second installment in the ''Child's Play'' fran ...
'' is the second film in the series and the first film produced by
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
. The film sees Alex Vincent and
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
reprise their respective roles as
Andy Barclay Andrew "Andy" Barclay is a fictional character and one of the primary protagonists of the '' Child's Play'' horror film series. He was introduced in '' the original Child's Play'' and has become one of the lead archenemies of the series’ ant ...
and the voice of Chucky, while Christine Elise plays Andy's foster sister, Kyle. Two years after serial killer Charles Lee Ray inserted his soul into a Chucky doll, a toy company attempts to re-create the doll, bringing Ray back in the process. The possessed doll, intent on claiming a human body, kills his way toward former owner Andy, who now lives in a foster home. Andy's foster sister, Kyle, tries to protect him, but his foster parents believe Andy is just a troubled kid—and Chucky's murderous path continues.


''Child's Play 3'' (1991)

Directed by
Jack Bender Jack Bender (born September 25, 1949) is an American television and film director, television producer and actor best known for his work as a director on '' Lost'', ''The Sopranos'', ''Game of Thrones'', and '' From''. Biography Bender grew up ...
from a story by Don Mancini and released on August 30, 1991, ''
Child's Play 3 ''Child's Play 3'' is a 1991 American slasher film and the third installment in the '' Child's Play'' film series. The film is written by Don Mancini and directed by Jack Bender. Brad Dourif once again reprised his role as Chucky from the previ ...
'' is the third and last film in the series to be titled ''Child's Play'', as all future installments would later use the title ''Chucky'' (prior to the 2019 reboot). The film saw Justin Whalin (replacing Alex Vincent) as
Andy Barclay Andrew "Andy" Barclay is a fictional character and one of the primary protagonists of the '' Child's Play'' horror film series. He was introduced in '' the original Child's Play'' and has become one of the lead archenemies of the series’ ant ...
, while
Perrey Reeves Perrey Reeves (born ) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her recurring role as Melissa Gold on the television series ''Entourage (American TV series), Entourage'' from 2004 to 2011 and Marissa Jones in the 2003 com ...
and Jeremy Sylvers play new characters Kristin De Silva and Ronald Tyler.
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
reprised his role as the voice of Chucky, becoming the only actor to appear in all films. It's been years since Chucky, the doll with the soul and the voice of a psychopathic killer, was apparently destroyed at a doll factory. Now Chucky's manufacturer is remaking the same line of toys with the old, still haunted materials. This resurrects Chucky, who goes after Andy, his former owner, who now attends military school. Chucky slashes his way through a string of grotesque murders as Andy tries to stop the homicidal doll and the spirit within it.


''Bride of Chucky'' (1998)

Directed by
Ronny Yu Ronny Yu Yan-Tai () is a Hong Kong film director, producer, and movie writer. He has worked on both Hong Kong and United States, American films. He is mostly known for his work in the American horror film, horror genre, such as ''Bride of Chucky ...
from a story by Don Mancini and released on October 16, 1998, ''Bride of Chucky'' is the fourth film in the franchise, and the first film to be titled ''Chucky''. The film once again sees
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
reprising his role of Chucky, while
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player. Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing, she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, and a GLAAD Award, ...
, Nick Stabile, and
Katherine Heigl Katherine Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and model. She portrayed Izzie Stevens, Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role that b ...
play new characters. Unlike the first three films, this film focuses almost entirely on the titular dolls. After being cut apart in the previous film, killer doll Chucky is resurrected by Tiffany, his ex-girlfriend. Following an argument, Chucky kills Tiffany, transferring her soul into a bride doll. To find the magical amulet that can restore them both to human form, Chucky and Tiffany arrange to be driven to New Jersey by Jesse and Jade, a teenage couple who are unaware that their cargo is alive.


''Seed of Chucky'' (2004)

Directed and written by Don Mancini and released on November 11, 2004, ''
Seed of Chucky ''Seed of Chucky'' is a 2004 black comedy slasher film. It is the fifth film in the ''Child's Play'' series, following ''Bride of Chucky''. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini in his directorial debut, and stars Jennifer Tilly, R ...
'' is the fifth installment of the series and the second film not to be distributed by Universal Pictures. The film stars
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
, reprising his role as Chucky,
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player. Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing, she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, and a GLAAD Award, ...
, reprising her role as
Tiffany Valentine Tiffany Valentine (also known as "The Bride of Chucky") is a fictional murderous doll and the secondary antagonist in the ''Child's Play'' horror film series. She is portrayed by Jennifer Tilly in both live-action and voice over in ''Bride of C ...
, while also playing a fictional version of herself, and Billy Boyd as their child, Glen/Glenda. Gentle Glen is a ventriloquist's dummy, the offspring of evil dolls Chucky and Tiffany, both of whom are now deceased. When the orphaned Glen hears that a film is being made about his parents, he goes to Hollywood and resurrects them in an attempt to get to know them better. He is horrified when his parents embark on a new mass assassination, and Chucky is equally horrified that his son has no taste for evil.


''Curse of Chucky'' (2013)

Directed and written by Don Mancini and released on October 8, 2013, '' Curse of Chucky'' is the sixth film in the series, and the first direct-to-video installment. It stars
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
, reprising the role from previous films, while his daughter,
Fiona Dourif Fiona Christianne Dourif (born October 30, 1981) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her starring role as Nica Pierce in the '' Child's Play'' franchise, including the horror film '' Curse of Chucky'' (2013), its sequel ...
, plays new character
Nica Pierce Nica Pierce (born November 25, 1988 Providence, Rhode Island) is a fictional character in the ''Child's Play'' franchise. She was created by Don Mancini and is portrayed by Fiona Dourif. She is the protagonist in two of the seven films, first ap ...
. Looking for revenge, Chucky the killer doll infiltrates and terrorizes the family of a woman, her sister, and her young niece.


''Cult of Chucky'' (2017)

Directed and written by Don Mancini, and released on October 3, 2017, ''Cult of Chucky'' is the seventh installment and the second direct-to-video film in the franchise. It stars
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
,
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player. Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing, she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, and a GLAAD Award, ...
, Alex Vincent, and
Fiona Dourif Fiona Christianne Dourif (born October 30, 1981) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her starring role as Nica Pierce in the '' Child's Play'' franchise, including the horror film '' Curse of Chucky'' (2013), its sequel ...
, all reprising the roles from previous films in the franchise. Chucky returns to terrorize his human victim, Nica, who is confined to an asylum for the criminally insane. Meanwhile, the killer doll has some scores to settle with his old enemies, with the help of his former wife.


''Child's Play'' (2019)

Directed by Lars Klevberg, ''Child's Play'' (2019) is a remake and reboot of the original film. It is the first and only film to not feature longtime Chucky actor
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
. It stars
Aubrey Plaza Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She began performing Improvisational theatre, improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. After graduating from New York University ...
, Gabriel Bateman, and
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...
playing new versions of characters from the original film. In this film, Chucky is not a doll possessed by a serial killer but instead an AI-powered Buddi one. 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 havoc.


Future

In October 2017, Don Mancini stated that he intends to have Glen and Glenda from ''
Seed of Chucky ''Seed of Chucky'' is a 2004 black comedy slasher film. It is the fifth film in the ''Child's Play'' series, following ''Bride of Chucky''. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini in his directorial debut, and stars Jennifer Tilly, R ...
'' return in a future film, and acknowledged that most references to that character had been cut from ''Cult of Chucky''. ''Child's Play'' television series continuation ''Chucky'' was released in October 2021 and Mancini said that following the TV show, feature films will continue to be developed in the future. In an interview with ''
Bloody Disgusting Bloody Disgusting is an American independent multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news website specializing in information services that covered various horror media. The company expanded into other media including podcast ...
'', Mancini discussed the potential of a ''Child's Play'' film set on a train, as well as revealing plans for a crossover film with the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise, tentatively referred to as ''Child's Play on Elm Street''.
I would like to do Freddy and Chucky, just because I think they would be a fun double act. I'm more really interested in the characters. My pitch for Freddy vs. Chucky is ''Child's Play on Elm Street''. Chucky ends up in some kid's house on Elm Street, and Chucky and Freddy inevitably meet in the dreamscape. Chucky sleeps. Why not? Chucky sleeps, Chucky dreams. And they have this admiration for each other. But they realize quickly that Elm Street isn't big enough for the two of them, so in a riff on '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' they have a contest: who can kill the most teenagers before the sun comes up?
Mancini confirmed his intent to make the crossover film, describing it as "cool and doable", saying that the film would be titled ''Child's Play on Elm Street'' and that he was in discussion with
New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...
about the film. The foundation for a crossover film was previously laid in ''
Bride of Chucky ''Bride of Chucky'' is a 1998 American black comedy slasher film written by Don Mancini and directed by Ronny Yu. The fourth installment in the ''Child's Play'' franchise, it stars Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, John Ritter, Katherine Heigl, and ...
'', in which
Freddy Krueger Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the antagonist of the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' horror film franchise. Created by Wes Craven, he made his debut in Craven's '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit of a ...
's bladed glove had appeared in the Lockport police evidence depository at the beginning of the film. In March 2024, Don Mancini announced he is in early stages of development on a new ''Chucky'' movie that would work in tandem with the series. In September 2024, Mancini stated that the ''Chucky'' franchise would continue following the cancellation of the television series.


Television


''Chucky'' (2021–2024)

A television series adaptation, titled ''Chucky'', was released on October 12, 2021, with involvement from franchise creator
Don Mancini George Donald Mancini (born January 25, 1963) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for creating and writing the Child's Play (franchise), ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present). Career Having been a horror ...
and producer
David Kirschner David Maxwell Kirschner (born May 29, 1955) is an American film and television producer and screenwriter. His producing credits include Don Bluth's ''An American Tail'' (also wrote) and ''Titan A.E.'' animated features as well as the '' Child's Pl ...
. The show aired on Syfy and
USA Network USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...
and shares continuity with the original film series, and is a continuation of that story. Mancini stated that besides the TV series, feature films will still continue to be developed.
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the ''Child's Play'' franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series, and his Academy A ...
returned to voice Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray. Executive producers of the series include
David Kirschner David Maxwell Kirschner (born May 29, 1955) is an American film and television producer and screenwriter. His producing credits include Don Bluth's ''An American Tail'' (also wrote) and ''Titan A.E.'' animated features as well as the '' Child's Pl ...
and Nick Antosca. Mancini directed and wrote the first episode. In addition to Brad Dourif,
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player. Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing, she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, and a GLAAD Award, ...
reprised her roles, as both herself and as Tiffany Valentine in the series.
Fiona Dourif Fiona Christianne Dourif (born October 30, 1981) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her starring role as Nica Pierce in the '' Child's Play'' franchise, including the horror film '' Curse of Chucky'' (2013), its sequel ...
reprises her roles as Nica and Chucky. Billy Boyd as Glen and Glenda, Alex Vincent and Christine Elise McCarthy reprised their roles as
Andy Barclay Andrew "Andy" Barclay is a fictional character and one of the primary protagonists of the '' Child's Play'' horror film series. He was introduced in '' the original Child's Play'' and has become one of the lead archenemies of the series’ ant ...
and Kyle. Other cast members include
Zackary Arthur Zackary Arthur Herrera (born September 12, 2006) is an American actor, known for portraying the lead role of Jake Wheeler in ''Chucky (TV series), Chucky'', a television continuation of the Child's Play (franchise), ''Child's Play'' film franchise ...
, Teo Briones, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Björgvin Arnarson,
Devon Sawa Devon Edward Sawa (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian actor. Born and raised in Vancouver, Sawa began his career as a children's action toy spokesman. He made his film debut with a supporting role in '' Little Giants'' (1994) and received wi ...
,
Lexa Doig Alexandra L. Doig (born June 8, 1973) is a Canadian actress. She played the title role in the science fiction television series '' Andromeda'' (2000–2005). She also played the lead female role of Rowan in the science fiction-action horror fil ...
and
Barbara Alyn Woods Barbara Alyn Woods is an American actress. She is known for her roles in television series '' One Tree Hill'' and ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids''. She is the mother of actresses Natalie Alyn Lind, Emily Alyn Lind, and Alyvia Alyn Lind. Career Woo ...
. In September 2024, the series was canceled after three seasons.


Short films


''Chucky's Vacation Slides'' (2005)

On the home media
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
and
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
release of ''Seed of Chucky'' in 2005, a short film entitled ''Chucky's Vacation Slides'' was included in the special features. The short, set after the shooting of ''Seed of Chucky'', follows the movie stars Chucky, Tiffany, and Glen after having returned from a family vacation. While browsing through their photographs of their vacation on a slide projector, Tiffany notices various corpses in the background of certain photographs, realizing that Chucky has been killing people again. Tiffany leaves, with a distraught and sickened Glen, while Chucky continues to view the photographs. After a delivery man arrives with a pizza, Chucky leads him to his garage and kills him off-screen. Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly and Billy Boyd all reprise their roles from the films.


''Chucky Invades'' (2013)

Leading up to the DVD release of ''Curse of Chucky'' in 2013, a series of short film videos were released. The clips showed Chucky interrupting the events of several other horror films. Brad Dourif and Edan Gross reprised their roles as Chucky and the Good Guys Doll, respectively. * The first clip, ''Chucky invades Psycho'', has Chucky using a stepladder to kill
Marion Crane Marion Crane (originally known as Mary Crane, also by the alias Marie Samuels) is a fictional character of Robert Bloch's 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho'' and portrayed by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film adaptation. She was later pl ...
in the shower; he is then discovered by
Norman Bates Norman Bates is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch as the main protagonist in his 1959 horror novel '' Psycho''. He has an alter, Mother, who takes the form of his abusive mother, and later victim, Norma, who in hi ...
.
Janet Leigh Jeanette Helen Morrison (July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004), known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American actress. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, Leigh was discovered at 18 by actress Norma Shearer, who helped he ...
and
Anthony Perkins Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor. Born in Manhattan, Perkins began his career as a teenager in summer stock theater, summer stock programs, although he acted in films before his time on Broadway the ...
appear in archival footage. * The second clip, ''Chucky invades
The Purge ''The Purge'' is an American anthology media franchise centered on a series of dystopian action horror films distributed by Universal Pictures and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes, which are written and in some cases also ...
'', has Chucky invading the Sandin family's home.
Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...
,
Lena Headey Lena Kathren Headey ( ; born 3 October 1973) is an English actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy drama series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she received ...
,
Adelaide Kane Adelaide Victoria Kane (born 9 August 1990) is an Australian actress and model. She first gained recognition for her roles as Lolly Allen in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' and Tenaya 7 (later Tenaya 15) in the children's series ''Power Rangers RP ...
and
Max Burkholder Maxwell Henry Wolf Burkholder (born November 1, 1997) is an American actor. He is most notable for his role as Max Braverman in the comedic television drama on NBC, '' Parenthood''. Prior to that, he became known as a voice actor for his roles ...
appear in archival footage. The film is designed in the form of a trailer for a film. * The third clip, ''Chucky invades
Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Maternal uncle, in some parts of South Asia Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mam ...
'', follows Chucky as he hides under the bed of Victoria Desange before attacking her.
Jessica Chastain Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and producer. Known for primarily starring in projects with Feminism, feminist themes, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Jessica Chastain, various ...
and Isabelle Nélisse appear in archival footage. * The fourth clip, ''Chucky invades
Drag Me to Hell ''Drag Me to Hell'' is a 2009 American supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Sam Raimi with Ivan Raimi, starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, and Adriana Barraza. The story focuses on a l ...
'', follows Chucky attacking Christine Brown in her car.
Alison Lohman Alison Marion Lohman (born September 18, 1979) is an American retired actress. She began her career with small roles in short and independent films, and starred in the sitcom '' Tucker'' (2000–01) and the soap opera '' Pasadena'' (2001). She ...
appears in archival footage.


Cast and crew


Principal cast


Crew


Reception


Box office performance

The ''Child's Play'' series, when compared to the other top-grossing American horror series—''
A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American Supernatural horror film, supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise), ''A ...
'', ''
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
'', ''
Friday the 13th Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year ...
'', ''
Saw A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, Wire saw, wire, or Chainsaw, chain with a hard toothed edge used to cut through material. Various terms are used to describe toothed and abrasive saws. Saws began as serrated materials, and when man ...
'', '' Scream'', and ''
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American independent horror film produced, co-composed, and directed by Tobe Hooper, who co-wrote it with Kim Henkel. The film stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, an ...
''—and adjusting for 2023 inflation, is last in box office performance at $305.2 million. ''Halloween'' is the highest-grossing horror series in the United States at approximately $1.09 billion. Next in line is ''Friday the 13th'' at $908.4 million, followed by the ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' series with $793.5 million. The ''Scream'' film series is in fourth place with $779.5 million, followed by the ''Saw'' series with $688.3 million, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' with $459.7 million.


Critical and public response


Controversies

The following crimes have been associated with the ''Child's Play'' films: In December 1992, four people who tortured and killed 16-year-old Suzanne Capper were said to be influenced by one of the ''Child's Play'' films. During the torturing of the girl, the perpetrators taunted her by playing her a song, ("Hi, I'm Chucky (Wanna Play?)") by 150 Volts, featuring samples from the film '' Child's Play''. In 1993, two youths who abducted and murdered a toddler named James Bulger were said to have been influenced by the film ''
Child's Play 3 ''Child's Play 3'' is a 1991 American slasher film and the third installment in the '' Child's Play'' film series. The film is written by Don Mancini and directed by Jack Bender. Brad Dourif once again reprised his role as Chucky from the previ ...
''. The supposed link between the murder and the film was denied by film censor James Ferman. According to a relative of two boys aged 10 and 12 who brutally attacked a nine-year-old and 11-year-old boy in Edlington, South Yorkshire in April 2009, the attackers watched horror movies, including ''Chucky'' films, from the age of about six or seven. Elena Lobacheva, a Russian serial killer arrested in 2015, was reportedly obsessed with the film ''Bride of Chucky'', which she cited as being an inspiration for the murders that she and her gang committed throughout
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. In August 2019, billboards and posters promoting the 2019 '' Child's Play'' reboot were pulled in New Zealand after a complaint was submitted to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for being inappropriate. The complaint was made mostly with concern for the region of
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
, claiming the advertisements are potentially traumatizing among children by reminding them of that region's high suicide rates, the various earthquakes that occurred, and the
Christchurch mosque shootings Two consecutive mass shootings took place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. They were committed by a single perpetrator during Friday prayer, first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, at 1:40p.m. and almost immediately afterwards ...
. The ad depicted Chucky with red glowing eyes and a knife, the latter being intentionally obscured by the title. The poster was deemed not to cause any harm among the population, but the ASA concluded it would be frightening for children.


Music

Joe Renzetti Joseph Renzetti is an American film composer and session musician. He scores for films and television, currently active in scoring indie films, he composes works for orchestra, chamber groups, and solo artists. Career Born in Philadelphia, Renz ...
composed the first '' Child's Play'', followed by
Graeme Revell Graeme Revell (born 23 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician and composer. He came to prominence in the 1980s as the leader of the industrial rock/ electronic rock group SPK. Since the 1990s he has worked primarily as a film score composer. ...
, who composed the soundtrack for ''
Child's Play 2 ''Child's Play 2'' is a 1990 American slasher film and the direct sequel to '' Child's Play'', written by Don Mancini and directed by John Lafia, one of the co-writers of the first film. It is the second installment in the ''Child's Play'' fran ...
'' and ''
Bride of Chucky ''Bride of Chucky'' is a 1998 American black comedy slasher film written by Don Mancini and directed by Ronny Yu. The fourth installment in the ''Child's Play'' franchise, it stars Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, John Ritter, Katherine Heigl, and ...
''.
John D'Andrea John D'Andrea is an American television composer, arranger and music writer. Biography D'Andrea, as a boy, was interested in being a musician, due to his father's career playing the saxophone in local New Jersey bands, because of this, his fat ...
and Cory Lerios wrote the score for ''
Child's Play 3 ''Child's Play 3'' is a 1991 American slasher film and the third installment in the '' Child's Play'' film series. The film is written by Don Mancini and directed by Jack Bender. Brad Dourif once again reprised his role as Chucky from the previ ...
'', while
Pino Donaggio Giuseppe "Pino" Donaggio (born 24 November 1941) is an Italian musician, singer, and composer of film and television scores. A classically-trained violinist, Donaggio is known for his collaborations with director Brian De Palma, and for his work i ...
composed ''
Seed of Chucky ''Seed of Chucky'' is a 2004 black comedy slasher film. It is the fifth film in the ''Child's Play'' series, following ''Bride of Chucky''. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini in his directorial debut, and stars Jennifer Tilly, R ...
''. Joseph LoDuca composed the score for '' Curse of Chucky'', '' Cult of Chucky'', and '' Chucky''.


Other media


Comics


Innovation Publishing

Beginning in 1992,
Innovation Publishing Innovation Publishing (also known as Innovation Books and the Innovative Corporation) was an American comic book company based in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was co-founded by David Campiti in 1988 after writing a business proposal and raising ...
released the first comic books based on the films, in the form of a three-issue adaptation of ''Child's Play 2''. It was later collected in a trade paperback. The success of the adaptation led to a monthly series of new stories starting in 1991. The series, titled ''Child's Play: The Series'', ended in 1992 after only five issues. This was followed by a three-issue adaptation of ''Child's Play 3''.


Devil's Due Publishing

In 2007,
Devil's Due Publishing Devil's Due Publishing (often abbreviated as DDP) is an independent comic book publisher in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned proper ...
obtained the license to publish ''Child's Play'' comics and released a one-shot crossover with '' Hack/Slash'' titled ''Hack/Slash vs. Chucky'' which takes place after the events of the ''Seed of Chucky'' film. This was followed by a four-issue series called ''Chucky''. A second volume began in early 2009 but ceased publication after only one issue.


Video games

In May of 2011, a video game titled ''Chucky: Wanna Play?'' was announced to be in development. It was set to be a hack-and-slash video game and was being developed by TikGames. It was planned to be released on
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
,
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
and
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
. A
Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
campaign was posted by the company in an effort to secure $925,000 for the development of the PC version of the game, with the intention of releasing the console versions shortly thereafter. However on November 12, 2012, it was announced that the project was cancelled after the Kickstarter failed to meet its' goal. Chucky and Tiffany are featured in the asymmetrical
horror video game A horror game is a video game genre centered on horror fiction and typically designed to scare the player. The term may also be used to describe tabletop games with horror fiction elements. Unlike most other video game genres, which are classif ...
''Dead By Daylight'' as playable characters starting on November 28, 2023.
Zen Studios Zen Studios is a Hungarian video game developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software with headquarters in Budapest, Hungary and offices in the United States. It is known for its game franchises, ''Pinball FX'' and '' Zen Pinball'', ...
released ''Chucky's Killer Pinball'', a pinball table for '' Pinball M'' on November 30, 2023. Chucky is also a playable character in the 2024 video game Funko Fusion.


Mobile game

Slimstown Studios made an endless runner video game titled ''Chucky: Slash & Dash''. The game was released on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices. It is the result of an agreement with Universal Partnerships & Licensing to develop and publish the first officially licensed smartphone and tablet ''Child's Play'' video game. The gameplay is actually inspired by the second film's climax. In the game, Chucky is stuck in a never-ending nightmare in which he's endlessly running through the factory that produces Good Guys dolls. Players control Chucky while sprinting through the factory floor, the catwalks, the warehouse, or even outside, and need to avoid conveyor belts, forklifts, acid pools, barrels and other obstacles. Chucky can also eliminate security guards patrolling the factory using his classic knife or other more outlandish weapons like a cleaver, screwdriver, or hatchet. As they play, gamers collect batteries that can be used to purchase in-game items or power-ups, such as a double battery bonus, a fast start, or extra lives that can extend a run after dying.


Universal theme park attractions

Since 1992, Chucky has starred in his own shows at ''
Universal's Halloween Horror Nights Universal's Halloween Horror Nights is an annual Halloween-themed event at Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan and Singapore. The longest-running and most successful iteration of the event, in Orlando, Florida, began as U ...
'', entitled, ''Chucky's In-Your-Face Insults'' and ''Chucky's Insult Emporium''. In 2009, the climax of ''
Child's Play 3 ''Child's Play 3'' is a 1991 American slasher film and the third installment in the '' Child's Play'' film series. The film is written by Don Mancini and directed by Jack Bender. Brad Dourif once again reprised his role as Chucky from the previ ...
'' received its own maze, entitled ''Chucky's Fun House''. '' Curse of Chucky'' has also received its own Scarezone in the 2013 lineup. In 2017, Chucky was the host of the Hollywood event's Terror Tram, joining Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface in terrorizing guests as a promotion for the then-new '' Cult of Chucky'' film. The following year, he featured in his own Scarezone at the Orlando event. In 2023, Chucky received a Haunted House based on the television series.


See also

* Killer toy *
Haunted doll A haunted doll is a handmade or manufactured doll or stuffed toy that is claimed to be cursed or possessed in some way. History According to Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, the concept of malevolent dolls gained attention in the 20th century when ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Child's Play (franchise) Universal Pictures franchises American supernatural horror films Horror film franchises Mass media franchises introduced in 1988 Films about dolls