TV
“Chucky”: Shooting Delayed on ‘Child’s Play’ Series Until 2021
While many productions are powering through the pandemic, Deadline reports that Chucky’s triumphant return will have to wait a little longer.
Production on USA Network and Syfy’s canonized Child’s Play series, “Chucky”, has been moved to 2021 as a result of the pandemic production shutdown, writes the site.
Set to shoot in Toronto, the plan was to originally film the series this fall but, due to COVID delays, this will now happen in the new year.
However, there is some good news as the drama was always intended to air in 2021. “Producers hope that it will still be delivered in time,” meaning there could be no delay in bringing “Chucky” to his adoring fans.
“Chucky” hails from franchise creator Don Mancini and “Channel Zero” mastermind Nick Antosca, and brings Brad Dourif back to voice the possessed doll.
“Chucky” has been described as a “fresh take on the franchise” that’ll “explore Chucky’s character with a depth that is uniquely afforded by the television series format.”
“After a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets. Meanwhile, the arrival of enemies — and allies — from Chucky’s past threatens to expose the truth behind the killings, as well as the demon doll’s untold origins as a seemingly ordinary child who somehow became this notorious monster.”
“With this TV show, our mission has been to preserve the straightforward scariness of the original film or the first couple of films,” Mancini explained to Syfy Wire back in May. “But at the same time, continue on with this ever-expanding tapestry of consistent story that we’ve spun over the course of seven movies and 30-some years. I think fans are really gonna love to see the new characters that we introduce into this realm and just to see how they came off of our classic characters. Not just Chucky, but some of the others that you may be hoping to see. There’s a good chance they may turn up.”
Jennifer Tilly, on that particular note, has already confirmed she’ll be back.
Mancini also teased in his chat with Syfy Wire, “I think the prospect of seeing Chucky sharpen his skills and add to his toolbox, some of the technical goodies that we have at our disposal now, that’s something I think people will find pretty interesting. It’s so important to give Chucky new weapons, new strategies, and new targets, new goals. Chucky has a different goal in the TV show than he’s ever had before and it’s specifically something that is designed to evoke something that’s going on in the zeitgeist today.”
Move over, Martha’s Vineyard, Apple has officially renewed fan favorite horror comedy series “Widow’s Bay” for season two ahead of its season one finale!
The season one finale is set to arrive on Wednesday, June 17, on Apple TV, but don’t worry, Major Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) has declared the island safe and open to visitors next season in an announcement video below.
“Season two is about how everything is great on the island, and there’s nothing to worry about,” said creator, showrunner, and executive producer Katie Dippold.
“From the moment audiences arrived in Widow’s Bay, they’ve been hooked on every eerie mystery, unexpected laughs, and cursed secret that Katie, Hiro, Matthew, and the entire team have created,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming, Apple TV. “It’s become one of those shows everyone’s talking about, and we’re thrilled to see audiences continue to embrace it. We can’t wait to return for another season.”
The series takes place in a “quaint island town 40 miles off the coast of New England. But something lurks beneath the surface. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is desperate to revive his struggling community. There’s no wifi, spotty cellular reception, and he must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed. He wants these people to respect him. They don’t. They think he is soft and cowardly. And he is.
“But Loftis is determined to build a better future for his teenage son and turn the island into a tourist destination. Miraculously, he succeeds: tourists are finally coming. Unfortunately, the locals were right. After decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true start happening again.”
Stephen Root, Kate O’Flynn, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Kevin Carroll, and Dale Dickey also star.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his “Widow’s Bay” review for Bloody Disgusting, “Season One makes a perfect first impression, and its debut is strong enough that viewers will want to set up permanent residency there. There’s an excellent sense of storytelling, character development, and an engaging mystery that’s strengthened through pitch-perfect horror and comedy.
This is the best news, especially as Apple TV announced a new, multi-year overall deal with Dippold. Here’s to hoping Widow’s Bay never closes to visitors.