CHUCKY Creator Don Mancini Teases Season 2 "Catholic Based Horror" Inspired by THE OMEN and THE EXORCIST
I really enjoyed the first season of Don Mancini’s Child’s Play series Chucky and with Season 2 coming, the creator of the franchise is teasing the tone and inspiration of what is to come. He makes it clear that the next season is going to lean into Catholic-based horror. During an interview with SFX magazine, he shared:
"A lot of the story takes place at this Catholic reform school where the kids get sent. Why did they get sent there? You'll find out when the season begins! But yes, it's very connected to Chucky, of course."
Mancini, who also serves as the showrunner, says he was influenced by films such as The Omen and The Exorcist. With possession being a major aspect of the series that seems to make sense. He explains:
"One of the things I've liked doing over the years with the franchise is delving into different subgenres of horror, and one of my favorite subgenres of horror has always been the Catholic-based spooky horror movies. So being able to put Chucky in that world – Chucky with priests and nuns and Chucky in a mass, in confession, intersecting all of that stuff, that was really a lot of fun. I think that people will get a kick out of that.”
I really like this concept and mixing Chucky in with religious horror is going to be a lot of fun to see! Mancini went on to say that the story will also explore the effects of religion-based prejudice on the young characters:
"Of course they know that Catholics are not exactly down with the gays, and how does that affect [Jake and Devon's] relationship when they are now stuck in an institution that officially rejects them, officially tells them that they're wrong? I was raised in the Catholic Church, so that's something that I dealt with as a young gay kid.
"With season one, and the character of Jacob, it was more autobiographical than I'd ever been before. Which was a little scary, in a way. But I think it paid off because people responded to the realness of that stuff, with Jake and his father and Jake and Devon. So I wanted to continue to explore that. This is something that lots of gay kids, whether it's in the Catholic religion or whatever, a lot of religious institutions, as we know, are not down with the gays. So yeah, it's something to deal with."
In the series, “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.”
Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly will both be back for Chucky Season 2, and they will be joined by returning cast members Zackary Arthur as Jake Wheeler, Björgvin Arnarson as Devon Evans, Alyvia Alyn Lind as Lexy Cross, Fiona Dourif as Nica Pierce, Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay, Christine Elise as Kyle, and Barbara Alyn Woods as Mayor Michelle Cross.
The series also stars Meg Tilly (Psycho 2, Body Snatchers), Gina Gershon (Bound, Killer Joe), Joe Pantoliano (Memento), Tony Nappo (Saw II), and Sutton Stracke (Real Housewives). Devon Sawa will be playing a new character, with Lara Jean Chorostecki (Hannibal) in an undisclosed role.
Chucky Season 2 will premiere on October 10th on USA and SYFY.