I have shocking news for all you movie fans out there. A movie made in the 80's that had mild to moderate success is being remade! Unprecedented, unbelievable, INCONCEIVABLE!
*UPDATE*
With MGM emerging out of bankruptcy, the studio hashed out a plan to remake a bunch of their most popular 80s properties, including Robocop, Poltergeist
, Mr. Mom
, and more. The news about Child's Play
was assumed to be a part of this initiative, but today MGM marketing head Michael Vollman issued a denial, saying that any rumors of a Child's Play remake are "totally untrue". At least that's what he told the AV Club. So we'll just have to wait and see what happens. You can check the original story below. Unfortunately a sarcastic tone is impossible to convey through writing so I hope I laid that on thick enough to show my true meaning.
Movieweb reports that MGM, after the long process of trying to obtain the rights from Universal, has secured everything it needs and is ready to move ahead with a reboot of Child's Play, the movie that psychologically scarred every child who recieved a "My Buddy" doll for Christmas in the mid-80's. Brad Dourif, the voice of demon doll Chucky, is set to return as is Don Mancini, the guy who wrote every movie in the series. This strikes me as a bit weird, not so much Dourif's return as the movie wouldn't be right without that voice, but that they are bringing back the original writer when they are trying to go in a different direction. Seems like you'd want a fresh take on the story. All the expected things have been said regarding the direction of the new film...it will be darker, more gritty, and lack the comedic elements of the sequels.
As a quick side note, I'd like to impose a 5-year moratorium on using "darker" to describe any remake, reboot, or really any movie in general. It seems to have become the de facto term to describe anything released since Batman Begins hit.
I can't lie to you, my beloved reader, I was scared shitless by Chucky as a kid. It didn't help that my best friend at the time thought it was a great idea to tape a kitchen knife to his My Buddy doll's hand, then stand it up in front of me while I was sleeping. He'd then wake me up and run away so it would appear that my nightmares had come true. But that's another story for another psychiatrist. The fact is that modern day audiences aren't going to respond to a serious take on a possessed doll, the only reason the later sequels saw success was that they were total parody. Parody to such a level that I don't think any further incarnation, no matter how "dark" or violent, will be taken seriously.
In researching this story I came across an interview that the guys at Screen Junkies did with writer Don Mancini and some of his ideas on the possible reboot.Check out their full post here.
Screen Junkies: There’s obviously room to continue this series of Chucky films, but is reboot the only way you’re thinking of going at this point?
Don Mancini: I’m personally open to other things but I think that’s what the studio wants, because this movie didn’t do very well so I think the feeling is that Chucky’s viability, his future is in the more straightforward horror vein. I was talking about the rights issues before, I don’t think it’s necessarily what we’ll end up doing as a strict remake. I think we’ll reboot it in the sense that it will just be more conventionally scary and it will only be Chucky and we won’t have Tiffany and Glen, but it won’t necessarily be a strict remake.
SJ: Will you be able to use some of those original ideas you had for Child’s Play?
DM: It’s one of the things we’re talking about. I can’t say too much about it but one of the things we’re alluding to, it’s one of the things that we’re talking about. I would like that, the psychological aspect of it. You seem to remember it very well.
SJ: Losing the voodoo, using the kid’s blood to bring the doll to life…
DM: We’d definitely keep the mythology of Charles Lee Ray, the idea of Chucky being possessed by a killer rather than what you’re referring to, that Chucky was the embodiment of this boy’s id.
SJ: In the 22 years since Child’s Play, have you had new ideas for how an origin of Chucky could be?
DM: Yes. We’ve explored a number of different possible scenarios. I’m definitely pushing to go in a very disturbing direction because I feel like if we’re going to go back to it being a horror movie, let’s make it really disturbing.
SJ: Are you planning to direct as well?
DM: Yeah, I mean, I hope so. That’s what we’re talking about.
SJ: Would we still recognize the Good Guys doll or would you reinvent that too?
DM: Oh yes, I think we would do a slight redesign on him but not so much that you wouldn’t. He’s got to be recognizably Chucky. I think we’ll take the scars away.
SJ: That makes sense, because in an origin story his face wouldn’t have gotten messed up yet.
DM: Right.
SJ: Would Brad Dourif still be the voice?
DM: If I have anything to say about it, and David [Kirschner] and Corey [Sienega] too.
I'm extremely interested to get your thoughts on this. Do you think a new, meaner, badder, Chucky could work? Or is this going to be the A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot all over again? Leave a comment and let me know!
