In 1988, supernatural slasher movie, Child’s Play, made its way into cinemas. The film – based on a story by Don Mancini – followed the tale of a young boy called Andy, who receives a doll as a present, but soon comes to discover the toy is deadly.
In the film, the doll – which refers to itself as Chucky – contains the soul of recently deceased serial killer, Charles Lee Ray. Ray transferred his soul using voodoo, but has plans to return to the mortal world using Andy as his new host.
Released to a positive response from critics, as well as a healthy box-office, Child’s Play proved to be a hit, introducing a new horror icon in the process. As such, a sequel was soon put into production, arriving in 1990 under the title of Child’s Play 2.
More sequels soon followed, as well as a remake, a legacy television show, and a documentary film. The majority of these projects were all connected, creating a sprawling saga in the process.
If you’re not watched any of the Child’s Play movies, and you wish to dive into the series, it can seem quite daunting, however, it is fairly simple to follow. If you want to know the titles of all the films, as well as the best order to watch the Child’s Play movies, keep reading and all will become clear.
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The Child’s Play / Chucky movies
Child’s Play (1988)
As noted above, the first entry in the Child’s Play / Chucky movie series was 1988’s Child’s Play. The movie introduced a couple of core characters, and created the basic premise for the series.
In the film, serial killer Charles Lee Ray is chased into a toy store by police detective Mike Norris, before being shot. On the brink of death, Ray performs a voodoo chant, which transfers his soul into a talking toy known as a ‘Good Guy’ doll, which is sat nearby.
The doll finds its way into the hands of a homeless peddler, who sells it to single mother Karen Barclay, before she gifts it to her six-year-old son, Andy. At first, Andy is very happy with the talking doll, who refers to itself as ‘Chucky’, but things soon begin to change when Chucky starts a killing spree. (87 mins)
Child’s Play 2 (1990)
Picking up the story two years after the events of Child’s Play, Child’s Play 2 sees eight-year-old Andy put into the foster care system. Here he is sent to live with Phil and Joanne Simpson, as well as teenager Kyle – another child who is being fostered.
Shortly after Andy settles into his new home, Chucky arrives, but hides his identity under the guise of ‘Tommy’, another Good Guy doll. However, Chucky soon reveals his true identity, putting Andy and Kyle in danger. (84 mins)
Child’s Play 3 (1991)
Released a year after Child’s Play 2, but set eight years later, Child’s Play 3 continues the story with the now teenage Andy Barclay living at a military school. Life isn’t easy for Andy, nor is his time at the school, but he attempts to make the best of the situation.
But things soon sour, when Chucky arrives and the killings start all over again. However, Chucky is no longer concerned with Andy, he instead sets his sights on fellow cadet, Ronald Tyler. (90 mins)
Bride of Chucky (1998)
Due to a mixed reaction from critics, as well as a not-so great box-office response to Child’s Play 3, the Child’s Play series went on hiatus for seven years. When it returned in 1998, the ‘Child’s Play‘ name was dropped and the series took a slightly new direction under the title Bride of Chucky.
Rather than continue Andy’s story, the character was retired for a while, and instead a new character named Tiffany Valentine was introduced. Tiffany was the former girlfriend of Charles Lee Ray, prior to his transformation into Chucky.
In the film, Tiffany resurrects Chucky, following his demise in Child’s Play 3, and is very keen to restart their relationship. However, Chucky has other ideas, kills Tiffany, and transfers her soul to a doll.
The pair then embark on a killing spree, with plans to move their souls back into new hosts. Madness, mayhem, and a fair bit of comedy soon follow, with Chucky and Tiffany at each others’ throats along the way. (89 mins)
Seed of Chucky (2004)
With Bride of Chucky being considered a fresh new direction for the film series, a fifth entry soon followed in the shape of 2004’s Seed of Chucky. This entry introduced another new character in the form of Glen/Glenda, the child of Chucky and Tiffany.
Taking an even more comical stance than its predecessor, Seed of Chucky saw Chucky back on another killing spree, while Tiffany’s soul is transferred into the body of actress, Jennifer Tilly. Meanwhile, Glen/Glenda is caught in the middle, while also trying to figure out their true identity. (86 mins)
Curse of Chucky (2013)
Upon release, Seed of Chucky was not particularly well received by critics, and as such the film series went on another hiatus. When it returned in 2017 for a sixth instalment, titled Curse of Chucky, it was via the direct-to-video market, rather than on the big screen.
As this film was not playing in cinemas, it was given a reduced budget in comparison to the previous entries. The result was a more stripped back offering, which quietly moved the majority of the legacy characters to one side, so the focus could be placed firmly back on Chucky.
In the movie, Chucky is sent to the isolated home of paraplegic young woman, Nica Pierce. Here he creates more havoc, as the body count begins to rack up. (96 mins)
Cult of Chucky (2017)
With Curse of Chucky being a big success on the home video market, a seventh entry followed in 2017 under the title, Cult of Chucky. Released direct-to-video, the film was largely set in a mental institution, with Chucky up to his old tricks.
Unlike its predecessor, which offered a small-scale story, Cult of Chucky opened up Chucky’s journey in new ways. The film also brought back legacy characters from previous films, including Tiffany, Nica, and Andy (who briefly cameoed in Curse of Chucky), as well as Kyle. (91 mins)
Child’s Play (2019)
Although the Child’s Play / Chucky series had remained one continuous story from 1988 onward, things took a change in 2019 when the main series was joined by a remake. The remake was implemented by MGM, who owned the rights to the first movie (but none of the sequels), and had plans to make use of those rights as it saw fit.
The result was Child’s Play – a reworking of the original film, with new actors, some new characters, and a new direction. Rather than focus on Chucky being a possessed doll, this time around the doll would be an A.I. creation which had gone rogue.
The film – which had no direct connection to the previous Child’s Play movies – received a mixed response from critics and fans. As such, it essentially became a one-off entry. (90 mins)
Chucky (2021 – 2024) – Television series
With the original movie series being left open-ended at the conclusion of 2017’s Cult of Chucky, there was still plenty of room for a continuation. However, rather than continue on film, Chucky and Co. moved to television instead for a direct follow-up.
This direct follow-up was a multi-season show titled Chucky. The series included legacy characters Chucky, Tiffany, Glen/Glenda, Nica, Andy, and Kyle, and introduced new players Jake, Devon, and Lexy. (1101 mins)
Living with Chucky (2022)
In 2022, while the Chucky television series was in full-swing, a documentary was released under the title, Living with Chucky. The docu-film focused on the original film series, featuring input from key actors including Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly, as well as Chucky creator, Don Mancini. (105 mins)
Doc of Chucky (2024)
Described as the “ultimate account” of the Child’s Play franchise, this nearly five-hour documentary film looks at the ins and outs of the horror series in greater detail. Covering the films, the characters, behind the scenes information, and much more, Doc of Chucky is an extensive doc for fans of the series. (295 mins)
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The Child’s Play movies (and the television series) in production order
If you wish to watch all of the Child’s Play / Chucky movies (including the television series) in production order, follow this list:
- Child’s Play (1988)
- Child’s Play 2 (1990)
- Child’s Play 3 (1991)
- Bride of Chucky (1998)
- Seed of Chucky (2004)
- Curse of Chucky (2013)
- Cult of Chucky (2017)
- Child’s Play (2019)
- Chucky (2021 – 2024) – Television series
- Living with Chucky (2022) – Docu-film
- Doc of Chucky (2024) – Docu-film
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Are all of the movies part of the same series?
The Child’s Play / Chucky movies are divided into three categories: The original series, the docu-films, and the remake.
The original film series + the television series
- Child’s Play (1988)
- Child’s Play 2 (1990)
- Child’s Play 3 (1991)
- Bride of Chucky (1998)
- Seed of Chucky (2004)
- Curse of Chucky (2013)
- Cult of Chucky (2017)
- Chucky (2021 – 2024) – Television series
Docu-films
- Living with Chucky (2022) – Docu-film
- Doc of Chucky (2024) – Docu-film
The remake
- Child’s Play (2019)
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Who are the actors in the Child’s Play movies, and are the films the work of the same director?
The main actor in the Child’s Play movie series is Brad Dourif. Dourif voices Chucky in the original series of movies, and appears briefly in person in 1988’s Child’s Play, in the role of serial killer, Charles Lee Ray.
Other notable actors in the Child’s Play movie series include Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Jack Colvin, Jenny Agutter, Christine Elise, Beth Grant, Greg Germann, Justin Whalin, Jeremy Sylvers, Andrew Robinson, Jennifer Tilly, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile, Alexis Arquette, John Ritter, Billy Boyd, John Waters, Redman, Hannah Spearritt, Jason Flemyng, Fiona Dourif, Summer H. Howell, Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Mark Hamill.
In terms of the directors, the Child’s Play / Chucky movies are the work of the following directors:
- Tom Holland directed Child’s Play 1988
- John Lafia directed Child’s Play 2
- Jack Bender directed Child’s Play 3
- Ronny Yu directed Bride of Chucky
- Don Mancini directed Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky
- Lars Klevberg directed Child’s Play 2019
- Kyra Elise Gardner directed the docu-film, Living with Chucky
- Thommy Hutson directed the docu-film, Doc of Chucky
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Which is the best Chucky movie?
According to IMDb, the Chucky movie series is rated as follows:
- Child’s Play (1988) – 6.7/10
- Child’s Play 2 (1990) – 6.0/10
- Child’s Play 3 (1991) – 5.2/10
- Bride of Chucky (1998) – 5.6/10
- Seed of Chucky (2004) – 4.9/10
- Curse of Chucky (2013) – 5.6/10
- Cult of Chucky (2017) – 5.3/10
- Child’s Play (2019) – 5.7/10
- Chucky (2021 – 2024) – 7.2/10
- Living with Chucky (2022) – 6.7/10
- Doc of Chucky (2024) – 7.6/10
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Child’s Play / Chucky movie series. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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