Take a Look Behind the Scenes at the Child’s Play Remake’s New Chucky Doll

MastersFX is behind this effort to modernize everybody’s favorite killer doll.

By Chris Morse
December 19 2018, 8:50 PM EST

Earlier today, MGM and Orion Pictures announced that Todd Master’ special effects studio, MastersFX, is behind the upcoming Child’s Play remake’s new Chucky doll. Bringing the infamously-possessed doll to life was a culmination of the team’s efforts using a combination of practical and digital effects. Based on the descriptions included in the press release, a crazy amount of work went into making this happen.

Led by Masters, the team included Keith Arbuthnot on puppeteering duties and had Mike Fields, Jason Ward, and Josh Raymond each controlling a different part of the doll to bring it to life on set. The new animatronic Chucky doll, of which there were seven created for the production, features interchangeable arms and heads to allow the crew to cover all of the scenes they’ve planned out. It looks like this process took a substantial amount of effort all around.

“It was important to Lars that we use animatronics as much as possible,” explained producer David Katzenberg. “As fans of Todd’s work, we were thrilled when he and his team of exceptional artists and puppeteers agreed to take on the challenge of creating our take on a classic character.”

Masters’ added his own statement alongside the press release, which also included a behind-the-scenes photo showing the doll being worked on. You will find both of those items below.

Reconceiving a well-loved classic always feels like wading into tricky waters, however, Lars’ fresh vision for this film turned what could have been a challenging process into a seamless and beautiful collaboration. MGM and Orion’s Child’s Play is not a remake or retelling but a completely new style and concept and we believe that BUDDI fits with this vision perfectly.

In Child’s Play, a mother gives her son a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature. The cast includes Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation, Legion) as the mother, Karen, Gabriel Bateman (Light’s Out) as her son, Andy, and Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) as a detective named Greg, who will be investigating the mysterious deaths surrounding the doll.

The film will be directed by Lars Klevberg, who is known for his upcoming horror film, Polaroid, with a script penned by Quantum Break and Kung Fury 2 writer Tyler Burton Smith. KatzSmith Productions’ David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith (Stephen King's It) will produce as the film is slated to arrive early next summer.

The Child’s Play remake will hit theaters on June 21st, 2019.

About the Author

Chris Morse

Thanks to his friends and family, Chris grew up surrounded by plenty of horror movies and video games. From self-taught web design as a teenager to a formal education in computer science, he has always had a passion for web technologies and has channeled all of those interests into building this website platform. Chris opted to dive straight into horror with this project and is joined by some of those very same influential friends and family here on the staff. When not programming or gaming, you can find him heading to the midwest to cheer on his favorite football team, the Green Bay Packers. Go Pack Go!