I’m about to jump on the “stop doing remakes” bandwagon. I know we’re on the verge of multiple strikes to shut Hollywood down, but do we have to keep regurgitating the same ideas into new pictures? We’ve already had the infuriating Halloween remake this year, but it appears Michael Myers isn’t about to be joined on the remake/reimagining block.
First Showing talked with David Kirschner, the producer of the upcoming Martian Child. While he talked about his latest movie with “child” in the title, he also talked about an earlier, similarly-titled franchise: Child’s Play. Kirschner produced all five movies in the Child’s Play franchise and has announced that the writer of the films, Don Mancini, is working on a possible remake of the first film. The idea is a potential reboot of the franchise, only “more terrifying” and “with twists the audience won’t see coming.” Grand.
Personally, I’ve always enjoyed (some of) the Child’s Play films. I didn’t even lambaste the most recent chapters, although I think they’re more comedic films with horror elements instead of horror films with comedic elements. These are still enjoyable pictures and I don’t see the point of retelling a story that’s already been told. Make another one, but don’t remake what’s already been done. I don’t care how much of Michael Myer’s youth you show, or Charles Lee Ray’s pre-vodoo origins we see, if the movie’s already been made once with a popular cult following it’s achieved, we don’t need another one. See: The Wicker Man, Halloween, and the possible rumored Friday the 13th, which we’re already ready to declare a disaster.
Honestly, the only way I'd even consider this is if Brad Dourif comes back to lend his iconic voice to the character. Even then I'm not 100% behind this. No, leave Chucky and Child’s Play alone. I could handle another sequel and would love it if they’d pull the comedic aspects back and revitalize the franchise with the aforementioned twists and terrors. A remake, however, we do not need.
