Horror Icon Don Mancini Explains the Timelessness of Chucky

The first Child’s Play film got here out in 1988, adopted by a string of more and more campy sequels (and one in-name-only reboot), however its iconic antagonist is now extra common than ever due to the runaway success of the TV collection Chucky.

The killer doll is again for season two in only a few weeks, and at a current press occasion, io9 acquired an opportunity to ask creator Don Mancini about Chucky’s enduring enchantment as a personality—and the way the Chucky franchise has been capable of evolve with the occasions to please each old-school followers and people who find themselves simply discovering him due to the USA and Syfy present.

First, Mancini made certain to thank those that love Chucky essentially the most, explaining that the franchise is flourishing “through the good graces of our fans, and we’re very grateful to them.” But he additionally had excessive reward for the individuals who really carry Chucky to life. “I think one of the most important aspects of the sustained popularity of the character is due to Brad Dourif and his [vocal] performance, which I think is indelible. And the puppeteers, who are led by Tony Gardner and Peter Chevako, are amazing. And I think in tandem, they bring Chucky to life to such a degree that we on set can all take it for granted. You know, he is just the kids’ co-star, Jennifer [Tilly’s] co-star, or the actor that me and my fellow directors are directing.”

Even past that, so far as the franchise’s leap from movie to TV goes, Mancini has just a few issues he can level to that specify its success. “I think that Chucky works well as a television series because for years, with the films, [we had] already set the precedent of doing serialized, ongoing, narrative storytelling. We have been spinning this continuous web over decades,” he instructed us. “So, to be able to do that now at an accelerated pace, and to go through eight hours of story per season, that’s really exciting. Because it allows us to get more into characters’ history and relationships, and go down different avenues and explore characters that fans have been wanting to know more about. This year we learn more about Glen and Glenda, what has been going on with them. Fans have been wanting to know about that since 2004.”

And this final level can be vital, on condition that the brand new collection encompasses a younger solid of teenagers in addition to its array of present fan-favorite Child’s Play characters: “I also think that the YA element is a good fit for Chucky,” Mancini added. “Aesthetically, we love to do over-the-top, stylistic, grandiose, visual stuff. And I think that’s the way teenagers’ emotions work. Teenagers’ emotions are over the top and big. That’s how you experience things when you are a teenager. Everything is incredibly vivid. So, I think that our franchise is a great fit for that.”

Speaking of these teenagers, Chucky season one stars Zackary Arthur as Jake, Björgvin Arnarson as Devon, and Alyvia Alyn Lind as Lexy will all be again to tangle with Chucky (Brad Dourif). The remainder of the solid consists of Jennifer Tilly, Fiona Dourif, Devon Sawa, and new addition Lachlan Watson (as Glen and Glenda).

Chucky returns to USA and Syfy on October 5.

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