Syfy Greenlights Chucky TV Series
Recently, a strange development has occurred in the killer doll universe: Chucky has split in two. Franchise creator Don Mancini has continued to keep the original character alive through direct-to-video movies, along with the original voice actor Brad Dourif and crew (and recently, his daughter). MGM, however, wants to reboot the series with a new Chucky, new director, everything.
Who won out? Both people. Syfy announced today they’ve approved plans to move forward with Mancini’s proposed Chucky TV series, which would continue the events of the most recent on-demand feature, Cult of Chucky. The reboot, meanwhile, is under production and is scheduled to appear in theaters this summer.
We’re not clear as to what the legal entanglements are here, but apparently MGM is allowed to reboot Child’s Play without input from Mancini, and Mancini is allowed to make Chucky-centric TV and film projects without MGM. However that works, we’re not sure. But it means two different Chuckies are being crafted concurrently.
“I’ve long wanted to bring Chucky to television and SYFY is the perfect network for us,” said Mancini in an official statement. “The show will be a fresh take on the franchise, allowing us to explore Chucky’s character with a depth that is uniquely afforded by the television series format, while staying true to the original vision that has terrorized audiences for over three decades now.”
There is an additional statement from Chucky himself…at least, one of them. “In these troubled times, I believe it’s my obligation as a horror icon to reach the widest possible audience, on TV. For over thirty years, I’ve been scaring the s*** out of you. But now at SYFY, I look forward to really making a difference.”
The other Chucky was unavailable for comment, but we can’t imagine they would be happy to meet each other. Things would get stabby rather quickly.