Chucky,everybody’s favorite bloodthirsty, murdering doll, has been a lot of places since creator Don Mancini first unleashed the beast in the horror filmChild’s Playback in 1988. But neverthe White House. Until now. Season 3, Part 2 ofChuckydropped in early April on USA and Syfy (and streams on Peacock here), and along with it comes the highly anticipated opus to Chucky’s hellish White House misadventure, where our crafty killer goes after America’s First Family. So much for the pristine wallpaper and regal decor.
Diehard horror and Chucky fans were always in for a treat this go around. For starters, the season was split into two parts, leading up to an epic finale. Secondly,Brad Dourif,voice of Chucky, makes a live appearance in the show, marking the first time Dourif physically appeared in the monstrous franchise sinceCurse of Chuckyin 2013. Meanwhile, Jennifer Tilly’s clever Tiffany Valentine finds the police closing in on her. Why, it wasn’t that long ago she cut off the arms and legs of poor Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif), all to control her.
Elsewhere, teens Jake, Devon, and Lexy (Zackary Arthur, Bjorgvin Arnarson, and Alyvia Alyn Lind) jump through hoops to find Chucky in the most secure building in the world. In this exclusive MovieWeb interview,father and daughter Brad and Fiona Dourifchuckle and confess their way through the romp that isChuckySeason 3, Part 2, the show’s legacy, and why we can’t get enough of that diabolical alpha doll.
Finding Chucky’s Voice
Revered worldwide for being the man who spawned the character of Chucky in 1988, surely Don Mancini must have a curious time moving through horror conventions filled with fans. And Brad Dourif for that matter.Child’s Playwent on to launch six sequels, comic books, a video game, plenty of merchandise, the latest television series, and a 2019 remake, directed by Lars Klevberg, withMark Hamill donning the voiceof Chucky.
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“Originally, I thought I would do the movie and go away,” Dourif told us about voicing Chucky early on. “Each time that there was a new movie, it was always, ‘Well, now what? What’s it going to be?’ And you know, that’s always fun. After a while, I made some decisions about Chucky. Chucky evolved and that’s in the script. But I had to come up with things about what’s important… what do I need to do always to make this thing really work?And one, he’s afraid of oblivion, and two, he loves his job.”
One clever twist in the series, which also stars Devon Sawa, is that now Chucky appears older. All this due to having been infected by Catholic magicduring an exorcism, which suddenly accelerated the aging process. As for making a rare live-action appearance in the franchise, Dourif said it was “fun,” and that he felt more involved:
Up until then, I did [Chucky’s voice] in my den. This time, I got to like act with all the people who were in the series and so forth. And it just felt wonderful to feel like a part of it.
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Chucky’s not the most charming guy in the world, but his smart mouth certainly dispenses some diamonds.
Nica Has Been Through the Wringer
What a journey Fiona Dourif has been on playing Nica Pierce in this franchise. We first encountered the character of Nica in2013’sCurse of Chucky. Bound to a wheelchair, she soon finds herself in a bloody Chucky aftermath with the death of her mother, sister, and nanny. She learns that long ago, Bad Luck Chuck — when he was Charles Lee Ray — had a thing for Nica’s mother, only to stab her during her pregnancy, thereby leaving Nica paralyzed at birth. Nica thinks she kills Chucky at the end of the film, but the police lock her up, believing she’s responsible for the bloodbath Chucky created.
Related:Chucky: The 10 Best Kills in the Horror TV Series
InCult of Chucky,Nica believes she had, indeed, killed her family, but Tiffany enters the scene bringing the “Good Guy Doll” with her. That never ends well, does it? Ultimately, Chucky voodoos his way into possessing Nica’s body. Suddenly, animated in human form, Chucky/Nica off her psych doctor and leave the mental asylum, making a mad dash back to true love, Tiffany.
Jennifer Tilly Has It Coming!
“I thinkNica’s most shocking momentwas the moment I became a very expensive character, which was the finale of season one,” Fiona Dourif said. “I would wake up kidnapped byJennifer Tilly’s [character], who chops off all my limbs in order to keep me trapped. I remember being pitched that idea, and the joy in Don Mancini’s face, and it was creepy and good and shocking… it had to be done.
“But it made me a very difficult character to come in and out of scenes,” she added. “That was the most shocking moment, but also excellent, and a great way to wrap up the season. In the future…I think Jennifer Tilly has it coming. And I would love to be able to explore that.”
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The iconic horror filmmaker spoke with MovieWeb about season three of his TV continuation of Child’s Play.
Why We’ll Always Love Chucky
There’s more. Father and daughter have Chucky in their bones now. Of Season 3, Part 2, Fiona Dourif noted: “There are alsomoments in the finale of this that were very special to the Dourif family and is a celebration of Chucky throughout the decades. And I’m excited for people to see that.”
Pops Dourif commented on the mammoth popularity of theChild’s Playfranchise, which included films, DVDs,merchandising, and more, has generated more than $250 million.
“I would go to sleep and all of my toys and so forth were in shadows, and my brain starts to take on sometimes a fearful aspect. And I think everybody’s gone through that as a child. So, the idea of a doll coming to life and being murderous is something that is really creepy and scary. The reason why it works so well is because Don Mancini is actually quite brilliant at it, and at adapting and changing it.”
Fiona Dourif added:
“I think [Don] doesn’t make the same movie over and over. He reinvents it. I get to meet a lot of Chucky fans and I always ask them, ‘How did you become a Chucky fan? What’s the deal? Why do you like Chucky?’ I always ask them questions and they say, ‘He’s really fun.’ Don is clever with dialogue in a way that a lot of the big horror franchises are kind of like silent and scary.Chucky’s having a great time. So, it’s scary, but also there’s just this fun element that keeps, I think, people really loyal.”
“I had no idea it was as zeitgeisty as it was until I was involved in the franchise,” she added. “I mean, I grew up around it, but didn’t understand it.”Season 3, Part 2 ofChuckyairs on USA and Syfy. The penultimate episode airs Apr. 24 (and streams on Peacock May 1), while the finale airs May 1 (and streams on Peacock May 8). Watch the trailer below.
