In 2018, Child’s Play filmmaker Don Mancini shared some exciting news on Twitter: His Child’s Play movie franchise was getting turned into a television series, aptly named Chucky. Just like the other titles in the chilling horror movie saga, this series would star the terrifying and notoriously foul-mouthed redheaded doll, Chucky.
Now, over three years later, the series has finally arrived to Syfy and USA networks, but with a little bit of a twist. While Chucky features the tiny beast in all his menacing glory, it also follows 14-year-old Jake (Zackary Arthur) as he explores his sexuality and harbors a crush on his male classmate.
So, how can you watch Chucky? Will the series be on Hulu? Keep reading!
In the new series, Chucky is the father of a queer and gender-fluid child.
At the start of the eight-part series, Jake unknowingly purchases Chucky at a yard sale. When he learns of Chucky’s identity and realizes that Chucky read his diary entry where he gushed over a boy named Devon (Björgvin Arnarson), the teen becomes fearful of what will happen next. However, Chucky has no intentions to make Jake feel bad about who he is. In fact, Chucky shares that he has a queer and gender-fluid child.
“You’re cool with it?” the teen asks Chucky during the second episode. Chucky quips, “I’m not a monster, Jake.”
While Chucky is arguably a monster, he is completely accepting of Jake’s sexuality. Weaving this storyline into the Chucky narrative was especially important to Don, who is gay.
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“I wanted to create a final boy instead of a final girl,” Don told the New York Times during a video call from his home in Los Angeles, nodding to the final girl trope that exists in many horror movies. But in doing this, he wanted to tap into LGBTQ culture, too. “It’s not something I ever saw when I was Jake’s age. Fortunately, the world has turned,” he added. Exploring these deeply personal themes was something that he wasn’t able to do with his films in the ’80s.
Source: Syfy
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While Don is aware that featuring a gay lead might not sit well with some horror fans, he has no regrets. “The idea of causing some people’s heads to explode was catnip to me,” he said. Plus, he had to find a way to continue the story through a new lens. “I love the character of Chucky, and I don’t get tired of him,” he explained. “But in order to keep it alive this long, it can’t just be about a killer doll.”
Don was also able to use his own experiences to shape the plot. In one scene, Jake’s father (Devon Sawa) hits Jake during an argument over his sexuality. This scene was based off of Don’s relationship with his own father.
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While this isn’t the first time the franchise has introduced a queer character into the mix, it is the first time that a protagonist is queer. In Seed of Chucky (2004), Chucky and his bride, Tiffany (voiced by Jennifer Tilly), introduced fans to their transgender child, who goes by Glen and Glenda. Other gay characters appear in Curse of Chucky (2013) and Cult of Chucky (2017).
The Main Character in the New ‘Chucky’ Series Is Gay, and Chucky Is Totally Cool With It
Source: Maharo News
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