Don Mancini, creator of Child’s Play and the ongoing television series Chucky, recently spoke with us regarding the new season and how he’d like to see the brand continue going forward. Additionally, Mancini reveals that he’d love to work on the Orphan franchise – and even suggests a crossover between Esther and Chucky as a fun possibility.
When asked which horror franchises he’d like to work on that aren’t related to Chucky, Mancini immediately answered Orphan. In fact, he expressed how much he loves both 2009’s Orphan and its 2021 prequel, Orphan: First Kill. And, given his familiarity with children given the themes in the Child’s Play franchise, it does seem like a perfect fit.
Here’s what he had to say:
“‘Orphan.’ I love the ‘Orphan‘ franchise. And it’s not just because it’s another sort of like childhood piece. Or you know maybe it is. I think both movies are really cool in different ways. I really, really like passionately loved the first movie, and I even think it’s kind of underrated even though it’s rated pretty highly. I feel like it deserves to be rated even higher. I think David Johnson is a great writer. So that’s one I wouldn’t mind working on. I just think the character of Esther is really fun, I think that actress is fantastic.”
Though Mancini didn’t reveal what he’d do with the Orphan franchise specifically, he does tease the idea of a crossover between Chucky and Orphan, with Brad Dourif’s Chucky taking on Isabelle Fuhrman’s Esther:
“But I also think that like Chucky and Esther together would be a fun one-off.”
One can certainly imagine Chucky’s shock when he realizes Esther, often thought to be a young child, is actually a grown woman. The two killers could then easily battle one another using their wits. Unless, of course, they decide to work together towards a common goal.
The Child’s Play franchise certainly has explored plenty of different territories over the decades. On that note, one aspect that remains unexplored is that Chucky has never been featured in a crossover. And while Mancini himself has pitched the idea of Chucky crossing paths with A Nightmare on Elm Street antagonist Freddy Krueger, it seems like Chucky and Esther could be another viable option.