Though last year’s Child’s Play reboot certainly has its defenders, the upcoming Chucky TV show has already earned a more decisive stamp of approval from longtime fans, not least because the series is being written and directed by franchise creator Don Mancini.
Indeed, while the 2019 Child’s Play drew backlash for hitting the reset button on the property without the blessing of Mancini, many fans are touting Chucky’s Syfy series as the true successor to the killer doll’s previous films. And to add legitimacy to this claim, it seems that Tiffany Valentine herself, Jennifer Tilly, is also on board.
Speaking to Page Six, the Bride of Chucky star shared her thoughts on the international fandom that Mancini’s franchise has developed over the years:
“I’m so excited. Chucky is very near and dear to my heart. All over the world, everywhere I go, I step off a plane to a country I didn’t even know existed, and they know one word, and that word is ‘Chucky,’ and they want a hug.”
Tilly also mentioned Mancini’s involvement, before confirming that she too will play a part in the series:
“Don Mancini, who created the Chucky 30 years ago is the writer on this series, so it’s the original Chucky. [Mancini’s] partner is Nick Antosca, who did Channel Zero, which is just a chilling anthology of horror stories, so a little bird told me that I am going to be a part of it.”
In the lead-up to the release of Lars Klevberg’s Child’s Play reboot, neither Tilly nor Mancini were especially shy about voicing their objections to the film. And while the feature ultimately made back its money at the box office and drew its share of positive reviews, it’s clear that a lot of fans are counting on the Chucky TV series to bring the franchise back to its roots.
In a Syfy press release sent out last month, it was said that the show will see an idyllic American town “thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets.” The summary also teased the arrival of “enemies” and “allies” from Chucky’s past, who’ll threaten to “expose the truth behind the killings” and reveal “the demon doll’s untold origins.”
It sounds like Tilly will be one of these returning figures, and while the actress wasn’t sure how many episodes she’ll be in, she did say that filming is set to begin this summer.