How far does a child’s imagination go? The new Blumhouse film “Imaginary” challenges how adults see childhood imaginary friends. This time, the terror is coming from a teddy bear named Chauncey, and no one is prepared for the toy’s true intentions. “Imaginary” builds on Blumhouse’s knack for turning childhood dreams into nightmares — something found in their recent hit “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”
“Imaginary” hails from director Jeff Wadlow, who co-wrote the film with Greg Erb, and Jason Oremlandstars. Wadlow notably directed the 2018 horror title “Truth or Dare,” another movie confronting a young adult’s right of passage. “Imaginary” also looks to a talented cast; the project stars DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, and Pyper Braun — with Veronica Falcon, and Betty Buckley.
The film’s official synopsis:
From Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind “FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S” and “M3GAN,” comes an original horror film that taps into the innocence of imaginary friends – and begs the question: Are they really figments of childhood imagination or is something more terrifying lying just beneath?
When Jessica (DeWanda Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister.
As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.
Beware of Chauncey the Bear when “Imaginary” premieres in 2024. The film is set to debut only in theaters on March 8. Watch the new trailer below.