Chucky is a bit of an outlier when it comes to horror. Usually, you can’t beat the original movie, and any sequels or TV adaptations pale in comparison – check out TechRadar’s ranking of every Chucky movie. But the Peacock series impressed critics so much that it has a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, placing it above the 1988 movie Child’s Play. With this in mind, it really is a shame that the horror hit has been canceled.
The adaptation ran for three successful seasons before it was announced that it would not continue, with The Hollywood Reporter announcing they had pulled the plug on the killer doll. While previous attempts to deactivate Chucky did not go so well, unfortunately, they’ve finally done it. For now, at least.
Confirming the news in a statement, creator Don Mancini said: “I’m heartbroken over the news that Chucky won’t be coming back for a fourth season, but am so grateful for the killer three years we did have.”
He added: “I’d like to thank UCP/SYFY/Peacock/Eat the Cat, our awesome cast and Toronto-based crew (the best in the business), and finally, to our amazing fans, a big bloody hug. Your incredible #RenewChucky campaign really warmed Chucky’s cold heart. Chucky will return! He ALWAYS comes back.”
What made the Chucky series better than Child’s Play?
It’s a big question and the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus cited its “absurd humor and creative horror” as being a huge hit. There may be other factors at play, such as nostalgia, or more people getting into horror, but it is refreshing to see the iconic doll having such a successful time on the small screen.
Some of the entries into the franchise have not been good at all, including Child’s Play 3, which has a pretty awful 19% rating on the aggregator. Others spark more debate among fans such as Bride of Chucky which is still considered rotten on the whole, but fans like me will go to bat for it mostly because of Jennifer Tilly’s performance as Tiffany.
But despite the series’ success, it wasn’t enough to save it from getting the chop. So season 3 is the end of the road but if you want to live the brutal, bloody memories, you can still stream the previous episodes.
Peacock does have a new horror series on route, called Hysteria, starring the Evil Dead‘s own Bruce Campbell, so there’ll be plenty to sink your teeth into throughout October and beyond.
