What do you get when you cross “It” and “Stranger Things” with a killer doll? Apparently, you get a reboot of the classic horror franchise “Child’s Play.” And according to a new report from Collider, we now know who might headline the latest horror revival.
“Ingrid Goes West” actress Aubrey Plaza and “Atlanta” star Brian Tyree Henry are reportedly in negotiations to star in the return of the iconic Chucky character. The reboot is rumored to greatly change the story of the original film and will feature a group of kids (see the aforementioned “It” and “Stranger Things”) that encounter a “technologically-advanced doll that enters their world.” So it sounds like the studio is trying to distance itself from the whole serial killer inhabits the body of a doll and terrorizes a young boy thing.
Unlike recent reboots like the just-announced “Candyman” from Jordan Peele and the upcoming “Halloween,” “Child’s Play” is a franchise that has been going (relatively) strong consistently since the 1988 original. There have been six sequels, including the 2017 film “Cult of Chucky.” While the three films tended to go in the more serious, horrific direction, the latter four went off the rails, introducing a love interest and child for the slasher doll character. It’ll be curious to see if this new reboot means the end of the recent campy ‘Chucky’ films, or if they can co-exist alongside.
Plaza is a big up-and-coming star, who got her start on the TV series “Parks and Rec” but has transitioned into more strange, offbeat choices in recent years. She currently stars opposite Dan Stevens in the ‘X-Men’ spin-off FX series “Legion,” which is completely batshit crazy. Plaza had a strong performance in the aforementioned ‘Ingrid.’ And she’ll next be seen as Lulu Danger in “An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn,” from director Jim Hosking.
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Henry is just about to completely explode on the acting scene after two seasons of strong performances on “Atlanta.” But now, he’s transitioning to the big screen, with roles in Barry Jenkins’ sure-fire Oscar contender “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Steve McQueen’s “Widows,” and the Matthew McConaughey-starring “White Boy Rick.” He also has a role in the upcoming animated superhero film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
No word on a release date, but with the cast and a revamped concept, it appears that “Child’s Play” is suddenly a reboot that sounds pretty damn interesting.