USA Network and SYFY’s upcoming Child’s Play spinoff, Chucky will explore teen main character Jake Weber’s sexuality. The horror film franchise has been going strong since it first arrived in 1989. Back then, the tone bordered on psychological horror as Child’s Play attempted to create a genuine feeling of terror over the possibility that a dying serial killer could transfer his soul into something as innocent as a doll. In time, however, successive Child's Play sequels transformed the concept into a campy, horror-comedy that many fans still love.
With the creation of a TV series spinoff, creator Don Mancini is attempting to do something entirely different with the franchise. Chucky focuses on teenager, Jake (Zachary Arthur), who in addition to being something of a loner, is also struggling with his own sexual identity and bullied as a result. Jake discovers a Good Guy doll at a local yard sale and forms a one-sided friendship with it. But as time progresses, a series of grisly murders begin to occur, shocking Jake’s small community. There’s clearly no doubt who is behind the murders (at least for fans) and Chucky’s presence begins to reveal a series of truths about the community and its inhabitants. The new series marks the first time that a teen cast is leading the charge to stop the killer doll, and Chucky looks to offer more than just a standard slasher plot.
One of the biggest changes that Chucky brings is a focus on Jake’s sexuality. Having a gay lead character is another first for the franchise, and the series intends to explore Jake’s sexuality and how it affects the character’s day-to-day life. During Chucky’s recent featurette at this year’s Comic-Con@Home, Don Mancini spoke about how the series moves beyond simply being a horror TV program and instead showcases plenty of heart in dealing with Jake’s friendship and crush on teen, Devon Evans (Bjorgvin Arnarson). Read what Mancini stated via Comic-Con International’s YouTube Channel below:
There are a lot of great scenes between Zach Arthur as Jake and his friend and crush Devon Evans, who’s played by Bjorgvin Arnarson.
It might not seem like such a big step forward for Chucky to have a gay lead character (who also happens to be a teenager), but the fact of the matter is that the move is indeed a substantial one. Traditionally, slasher films have wallowed in a very dated and sexist point of view. An honest appraisal of many of the slasher films that are today viewed as classics points to a very limited and inaccurate view of teenagers and adults. The portrayal of sexual orientation is typically staunchly macho and heterosexual, with little room for anything else. To have one of the oldest ongoing horror franchises acknowledge this and change it accordingly for its TV spinoff is a great sign of change and diversity to come in the genre.
Of course, simply making a lead character gay and exploring the challenges he faces in grappling with his sexuality doesn’t necessarily mean the series itself will be a hit. But what Chucky cannot be faulted for is taking risks with a franchise model that, quite frankly, was in desperate need of a new direction. If Jake’s sexuality can open the series up in a new way and indeed does provide plenty of heart while keeping the scares coming, then it does seem that Chucky’s small screen arrival just might find itself in a win-win situation.
Source: Comic-Con International