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As a character, Chucky has revolutionized horror in multiple ways. His appearances in the Child's Play film series won over many fans of the genre and also set the trend of portraying children's toys as hosts to evil spirits. Modern versions of the idea include the character of Annabelle in The Conjuring and Annabelle film series. The iconic character was created with great attention to detail and has an interesting backstory.
Despite multiple interpretations, the character has stayed fairly consistent throughout the films and TV shows. The trailer for the second season of Chucky has been released and fans of the character are anticipating a phenomenal return for the iconic character. It is also one of the few successful horror shows that have struck a chord with fans of the genre. As such, today we will list five lesser known facts about this character that horror enthusiasts might not be aware of. Without further ado, let's get into this.
5 Things that you might not know about Chucky
1) Chucky was inspired by the My Buddy doll
Chucky changed our perception of children's toys forever. In 1985, Hasbro introduced a series of dolls named My Buddy. The toys were specifically meant for young boys, a new idea because such dolls were only designed for girls until then. The My Buddy toys became a symbol of masculinity and were promoted as macho toys.
Although not explicitly, the My Buddy doll heavily inspired Chucky's design. Moreover, it was based on many different kinds of dolls that were being marketed at the time, but My Buddy dolls remained the most influential for this character. Interestingly, how the dolls were being marketed also depended on the brand identity that My Buddy was trying to build as a macho line.
Additionally, many have attributed the fall of My Buddy dolls to their horrifying portrayal in the Child's Play series.
2) His name was inspired by three real killers
Chucky's actual name, Charles Lee Ray, is inspired by not one but three different murderers. The names the writers chose to give the doll were all rooted in real-life killers and criminals.
Charles Manson is first among the lot, and the doll's first name takes inspiration from this criminal. He was a cult-leader who went on to lead a series of nine murders in 1969. He was a terrifying criminal and was one of the many serial killers who rose to commit horrifying crimes during the 1960s. He was emotionally manipulative, which helped him lead these murders, none of which he directly committed. The doll borrows this trait from Manson.
His middle name, Lee, is inspired by Lee Harvey Oswald, who is accused of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Oswald was shot and killed, before which many conspiracy theories about him being falsely accused of the assassination frequently surfaced.
Chucky's last name, Ray, is inspired by James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. He was sentenced to a 99-year sentence and died in prison.
3) The doll in Child's Play is created out of puppetry and not CGI
Child's Play is a film that uses the art of practical effects the most. Complex animatronics were used to bring the doll to life and make it as horrifyingly real as possible. At any given point when the doll was on screen, around 11 professional puppeteers were required to keep the doll moving and create a sense of life in it.
The use of practical effects almost defines the first film of the franchise. They are what gives the doll its character and the vibe it creates in film. Despite being a laborious task, the work paid off since the use of CGI in recent times has caused a deterioration in the cinematic experience, especially in horror films.
4) He almost had his own theme song
Before Bear McCreary composed the terrifying theme song for the reboot of Chucky, when the first film Child's Play was being made, Joe Renzetti had made theme music for the doll. Giving it a theme song would make sense since it was a children's toy. However, the entire theme song never managed to make it to the movie.
The original composition was supposed to be the one for marketing the toy in the franchise in a way that the music would fit into the film. However, the use of theme music became more common in the later reboots and reinterpretations of the character.
5) Chucky inspired some real life crimes
There isn't just one case associated with the doll when it comes to inspiring real violence in society. Several crimes have been committed since then in the name of the horrific doll that is as brutal as it can get. Many have accused the character of encouraging violent and undesirable behavior among young children and teenagers.
One of the biggest crimes included the torture and murder of a 16-year-old girl who was tortured for days by a group of people. Many wounds inflicted on the victim hinted that the group was inspired by the doll and was trying to imitate its actions.
The trailer for the second season of Chucky has been released, and the season will premiere on October 5, 2022, on SyFy.
