In 2003, Freddy vs. Jason arrived in cinemas, a film that I’d credit for kicking off the versus-style motif of Hollywood crossovers. In the time since, we’ve received other mashups such as Alien vs. Predator, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and, perhaps the biggest movie to be produced within our lifetime, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid.
Like any of us, those seated in prestigious positions can also dream. As it so happens, Don Mancini, director of the upcoming Cult of Chucky and the man responsible for bringing the Child’s Play film franchise back to its roots, has a cool idea for a crossover. And when you really think about it, it kind of makes sense.
Granted, pitting Freddy against Jason was a no-brainer because they’re both titans in the horror genre, but Mancini would like to see something he calls “Child’s Play on Elm Street.” When recently appearing on an episode of Nerconomicast, he reasoned why he thinks such a thing would work:
“I’ve talked about this a lot over the years and it’s actually an idea that I think is cool and doable. It’s just… it would require arranging all the legal red tape between two different studios. But I think Chucky versus Freddy would be awesome. Because they both have distinct personalities, and they both talk, they would be a really fun double act.”
Well, he’s right on all counts there. While it would indeed take one hell of a machete to sever that red tape, it’s undeniable that Freddy and Chucky would have great chemistry and play off each other rather well. Still, strong personalities are bound to clash, thus paving the way for a showdown Mancini foresees:
“My idea for the movie is to do it as a horror movie version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It’s called Child’s Play on Elm Street. Chucky ends up in the bedroom of a house on Elm Street. And Freddy meets him there. And they’re, like, fans of each other. So they have this rapport. But then they realize Elm Street isn’t big enough for the two of them. It only can contain one killer.”
Should such a thing ever be able to come to fruition, I think the studio execs now know who to call. In the meantime though, be sure to pick up a copy of Cult of Chucky on Blu-ray or DVD when it releases on October 3.