A few weeks ago, we wondered aloud who might voice the new Chucky (or, rather, Buddi) in the upcoming Child’s Play reboot. It was suggested, via industry rumors and rumblings about test screenings, that a major A-list actor was being courted to do the honors. And, as it turns out, the man in question is the best choice this side of Brad Dourif.
None other than Mark Hamill, celebrated voice actor and Star Wars vet, will be voicing Buddi (the new Chucky) in Child’s Play. For anybody unfamiliar with the great man’s voice acting career, this lively compilation covers pretty much everything. Hamill is perhaps most well-known, and beloved among fans, for his Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, which many consider to be the definitive take on the character.
He’s got previous with villains, he’s a fan favorite actor, and he seems pretty stoked about nabbing the role as per the below from Twitter:
"People let me tell you 'bout my best friend…"🎶
The wicked fun begins when @ChildsPlayMovie is unleashed in theaters: Friday, June 21st 2019. #SoLuckyImChucky 🤪 @MGM_Studios @OrionPictures pic.twitter.com/ExOYuwj9sP— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 31, 2019
Even so, it’s still kind of difficult to get excited about a Child’s Play reboot that doesn’t involve Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, or series creator Don Mancini (who has been very vocally against the upcoming movie, particularly considering he’s working on his own T.V. spinoff).
Appearing on the Flickering Myth podcast towards the end of last year, Mancini had some choice words for the reboot and those behind it. He admitted to feeling hurt, particularly considering Chucky is still in pretty good health.
You know, I had just done two movies…forgive me if I sound defensive, [they] were both at 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though they didn’t get theatrical releases, they were well regarded. And I did create the character and nurture the franchise for three f*****g decades
Mancini revealed he did not sign off on the new film, and both he and producer David Kirschner refused to executive produce it themselves, when asked.
We have our ongoing thriving business with Chucky… The producers of that movie are the producers of It. How would they feel if there was some legal loophole that allowed David Kirschner and I to swoop in and make our own It movie with our own version of Pennywise and say, ‘Hey guys, we would love to put your names on it?’ I imagine they wouldn’t like it
Mancini went on to explain that it’s not about the money, but rather how personal Chucky is to him, and how Child’s Play 2019 might negatively affect his ability to revisit the killer doll on the big screen in future. Echoing his sentiments, the legendary Tilly, who features in the movies both as herself as well as voicing Chucky’s paramour Tiffany, took to Twitter to express her displeasure.
From Orion Pictures, Child’s Play 2019 is billed as a “contemporary re-imagining” of the original film, whatever the hell that means. It follows Aubrey Plaza’s single mother, who gifts her young son (played by Gabriel Bateman) a Buddi doll, which is basically an A.I. toy with murderous intentions. So no voodoo, no serial killer soul, no Chucky essentially.
The flick is directed by Norwegian filmmaker Lars Klevberg (Polaroid) from a script by Tyler Burton Smith. Bryan Tyree Henry co-stars. Child’s Play boasts some heavy-hitter producers too, in the form of Seth Grahamhe-Smith and David Katzenberg, who produced the brilliant IT movie adaptation.
Child’s Play hits theaters on June 21, 2019. We’ll keep you updated as the date draws closer.
