While I fully believe that there is absolutely no logical reason for a Child’s Play reboot while the current franchise is going strong, it’s happening regardless. It also has Mark Hamill to voice Chucky and now composer Bear McCreary (Walking Dead) doing the score. They’re giving us a lot of reasons to want to watch it, despite sitting in the theatre looking stern.
Orion Pictures announced today that Emmy® and BAFTA Award winning composer Bear McCreary (“The Walking Dead,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “10 Cloverfield Lane”) has been brought on to score the reimagining of the 1988 horror classic CHILD’S PLAY. The upcoming film follows Karen (Aubrey Plaza), a single mother who gifts her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) a Buddi doll, unaware of its more sinister nature and stars Plaza, Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry and recently revealed Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky.
KatzSmith’s Aaron Schmidt said, “Bear comes with boundless ideas and energy, and his approach to this score has been incredible to witness. He’s developed themes and melodies that underscore our horror, our emotion and our AI concept while combining unique instruments and toys from around the world with his orchestral score. He’s elevated every moment of the film he’s touched.”
CHILD’S PLAY is directed by Lars Klevberg (“Polaroid”) from a script by Tyler Burton Smith (“Sleeping Dogs,” “Quantum Break” video games) and produced by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith on behalf of KatzSmith Productions (“It”). Aaron Schmidt and Chris Ferguson executive produced the project.
“Chucky haunted my dreams when I was a kid, ever since his devilish little face peered out at me from a torn VHS cover at my local video store. Now, thirty years later, I have a remarkable opportunity to contribute to his musical legacy,” said McCreary. “Inspired by the Chucky’s toy-store origins, I’ve assembled a ‘toy orchestra,’ of toy pianos, hurdy gurdies, accordions, plastic guitars, and otamatones, that will be featured prominently in the score. I hope that these creepy, unique tones will help terrify the next generation of ‘Child’s Play’ fans!”
McCreary’s most recent feature is the highly-anticipated “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” the Warner Bros. follow-up to the 2014 hit film. Having also collaborated closely with producer J.J. Abrams in scoring the Paramount/Bad Robot films, “10 Cloverfield Lane” and “The Cloverfield Paradox,” McCreary is at home in the science fiction and horror genres, including AMC’s hit series, “The Walking Dead,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” and the acclaimed “Battlestar Galactica.” McCreary’s other recent film credits include “The Professor and the Madman,” a historical drama starring Mel Gibson and Sean Penn, and the Universal/Blumhouse hit “Happy Death Day,” a horror-comedy that made over $100 million dollars at the box office. His video game credits include Sony PlayStation’s award-winning “God of War.”
The 1988 film grossed over $44 million worldwide on a $9 million budget and spawned one of the most recognizable and successful horror characters of all time with its psychotic killer doll, Chucky.
Orion Pictures will release CHILD’S PLAY nationwide through United Artists Releasing on June 21, 2019.
