Following in the footsteps of the widely acclaimed Chucky TV series, the Friday the 13th reboot can learn a lot from its forebear's success. The series, which was a breakout hit in the late 80's, rekindled Don Mancini's iconic slasher franchise in a way few reboots ever have after the original had seemingly faded in relevance. Given the current cultural landscape, it's clear that the Friday the 13th reboot would do well to continue this trend by monitoring Chucky's approach.
Before the successful reboot, Chucky was one of many slasher franchises to have struggled in recent years. With glowing reviews, however, the Chucky TV show has earned itself a second season and put the series back on track, ensuring that the killer doll shall live on. By contrast, few other slashers have found success, and even the most iconic characters in the genre have fallen by the wayside. Friday the 13th, for instance, may feature the legendary Jason Voorhees, but the series has not seen a new release since a reboot attempt in 2009 that failed to reignite interest in the franchise. Although the icon has shown up in several popular video games since then, the Friday the 13th film franchise remains in need of a reboot of its own.
As Friday the 13th aims to get itself back on track, there are valuable lessons to be learned from Chucky's approach. For starters, Chucky introduces a new cast of likable characters for audiences to connect with. For the first half of the season, these characters are the primary focus. However, unlike the 2019 reboot, the tv series acknowledges past films in the Child's Play franchise and brings that canon to this new story. Most important is the return of Brad Dourif as the voice of the titular killer, with the second half of the season also brings characters from the first seven movies into the show, including Alex Vincent's Andy, Jennifer Tilly's Tiffany, and Fiona Dourif's Nica. Newcomers have time to grow attached to the new cast before the rest of the continuity comes into play, and longtime fans get a new Chucky story that also rewards them for keeping up with the 30+ years of storylines. All of these are elements that any Friday the 13th reboot could look to incorporate.
The 2009 Friday the 13th film, much like the ill-fated 2019 Child's Play remake, completely disregarded past films. Looking at what has worked for Chucky, a Friday the 13th reboot might approach the issue of continuity differently. Friday the 13th has never had a particularly strict canon, with each film featuring almost an entirely different cast of characters. However, each successive movie does pick up from the ending of what came before, at least, until 2009. A new Friday the 13th reboot should follow Chucky's lead and introduce a new cast of characters that new fans can connect with, and then bring in the fan service later.
For instance, Tommy Jarvis is one example of a popular character that the series could bring back. A major character in three prior Friday the 13th films, Tommy is the most recurring protagonist in the series and has become a fan favorite. Actor Thom Mathews, who played Tommy in Jason Lives, has reprised the role for both video games and fan-made Friday the 13th shorts and would likely be willing to return to the big screen to face off against Jason again. Of course, Tommy is hardly the only survivor from past films who could make a grand return. Every Friday the 13th film has at least one or two survivors. Similar to Chucky bringing back cast members from various films, a new Friday the 13th could unite the various survivors to help a new generation overcome Jason Voorhees.
While the future looks bright for Chucky, the same cannot be said for other slasher icons. Although the titular doll is thriving, other icons like Jason Vorhees have been largely left in the past. That can change. When the Friday the 13th rights lawsuit comes to a definitive end, the series will be primed for a revival. While there are fundamental differences between Chucky and Jason, there is surely much that the inevitable Friday the 13th reboot can learn from the success of Chucky.