Back in January,Cult of Chucky, Universal 1440’s highly-anticipatedhorror sequel, started production, with directorDon Manciniand starJennifer Tillysharing the first set photos. Now that the film is in post-production, the wait for the first trailer begins. But before the first footage drops, writer-directorDon Mancinidescended upon the Monsterpalooza convention in Pasadena, California this weekend, where he shed some new light on this sequel. During his convention appearance, the director made quite the bold statement, revealing that this will be the goriestChuckymovie ever.
“The gore effects in this movie, this is definitly the goriest of all of the movies. [This] wasn’t something [we] set out to do, it just sort of turned out that way.”
Don Manciniwas joined byJennifer Tilly,Fiona Dourifand animatronic effects supervisorTony Gardnerat the convention, with the director revealing that the story picks up directly after 2013’sCurse of Chucky. That story ended withFiona Dourif’s Nica being accused of murdering her whole family.Bloody-Disgustingwas on hand for the convention, where the director teased what happened to Nica after she had taken the rap for all of Chucky’s brutal murders.
“(Cult of Chucky) picks up the story of Nica after the bloodbath that happens in the last movie, and Nica has taken the wrap for all ofChucky’s murders. She was sent to a mental institution, and after four years of shock therapy and drugs, doctors have convinced her that Chucky was just a delusion and that she had actually murdered her entire family. It’s a cool prescription for suspense, right? Then her doctor complicates matters by introducing into her group therapy sessions…a Chucky doll.”
The cast also includesAlex Vincent, who returns as Andy Barclay, Chucky’s original nemesis, withBrad Dourif(The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) once again providing the eerie, unnerving voice of the demon doll possessed by the spirit of a maniacal serial killer. After Chucky is brought into these therapy sessions, a string of grisly deaths begins to plague the asylum, and Nica starts to wonder if maybe she isn’t crazy after all. Andy Barclay races to Nica’s aid, but to save her he’ll have to get past Tiffany (Oscar-nomineeJennifer Tilly), Chucky’s long-ago bride, who will do anything, no matter how deadly or depraved, to help her beloved devil doll.Don Mancinialso added at the convention that there are certain elements in this film that are similar to the 2010Christopher NolanfilmInception.
“Chucky is such a versatile character that you may plug him into different sub genres. This one is the mind fuck, Chucky meetsInceptionbecause you’re dealing with a bunch of characters whose perception reality is altered by their madness, the drugs that their on, and by hypnosis.”
Don Mancini, writer of theChild’s Playfranchise, is the executive producer of the new film, which he also directs from his original script. Longtime franchise producerDavid Kirschner(The Pagemaster,Frailty) is joined this time byOgden Gavanski(Warm Bodies,Immortals). The production team includes special-effects guru and associate producerTony Gardner(Zombieland,Curse of Chucky), director of photographyMichael Marshall(Killjoys), production designerCraig Sandells(Mother’s Day) and costume designerPatricia J. Henderson(ATM). Universal 1440 hasn’t announced a release date yet, but it is expected to arrive in October, just in time for Halloween. Hopefully we’ll get the first trailer and release date details forCult of Chuckysoon.
