Chucky returns to our screens in just a few weeks for his very own self-titled TV series. The first small-screen spinoff of the Child’s Play franchise, Chucky promises to take the character back to basics, removing much of the campy humor from the later films and restoring the emphasis on horror. At the same time, it’s also reinventing the wheel a little and giving the series a teen-oriented slant. What the show is going for is effectively displayed in this first clip from the premiere episode, which is hitting Syfy in October.
The clip begins with introverted teen Jake (Zachary Arthur) as he’s tasked with dissecting a frog in class. Unfortunately for Jake, blood makes him squeamish — so it’s kind of awkward that he’s brought a Good Guy possessed by a serial killer to school with him. When Jake goes faint after making an incision into the frog’s abdomen, he puts the scalpel in front of the smiling Chucky doll. But when he looks back, he sees the scalpel impaled in the frog’s carcass which has now been gutted.
Though we don’t hear him speak in this sneak peek, Brad Dourif is once again returning as the voice of Charles Lee Ray. What’s more, he’s joined by various other franchise favorites including Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany Valentine, real-life daughter Fiona Dourif as Nica Pierce and Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay. Meanwhile, Final Destination‘s Devon Sawa is also in the cast in a dual role as Jake’s dad and his twin brother.
Once again, creator Don Mancini is behind the camera, writing and directing the pilot episode. He’s previously promised that Chucky will deliver all the scares and laughs fans will be hoping for, as well as offering up a deeper emotional core than they might be expecting through Jake’s storyline. Remember, we’ll also be getting Chucky’s childhood explored at last as we learn what turned him into a killer in the first place.
Chucky debuts on Syfy and USA Network on October 12th.
