For the last three years, the TV series Chucky has perfectly timed the release of new episodes to the heart of spooky season… but this year is a bit different. Instead of airing in one full run, Season 3 of the brilliant horror series is airing in two halves, with the first four episodes airing now, and the next four scheduled for an unspecified date in 2024. According to franchise/series creator Don Mancini, this split is a side effect of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and it’s not ideal – but there is at least a silver lining to appreciate: the first half of Season 3 ends on a killer cliffhanger.
Following the season premiere of Chucky Season 3 last week, I had the incredible pleasure of doing a virtual interview with Mancini, and one of the many topics we discussed was the special distribution plans for the new episodes. He confirmed that the split season was not a pre-planned thing, but added that things could have turned out worse:
It was just a result of the [the strikes]. But just it was a really nice coincidence that the first episodes, rather the fourth episode, does end on a cliffhanger.
Before we get any further: no, I have zero intention of spoiling the very special developments that are ahead in Chucky Season 3. Fear not!
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In the new run of episodes, audiences catch up with the titular doll as he makes a home in America’s most exclusive residence: the White House. Chucky ingratiates himself with the youngest son in the First Family, and doing what he does best, he begins to stir up homicidal chaos in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, back in New Jersey, Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) continue their search both for Lexy’s sister Caroline (Carina Battrick) and any Good Guy dolls that may still be in existence.
Following a series renewal back in January, Chucky Season 3 went into production in the first half of this year, but the cast and crew weren’t able to finish shooting because of the efforts of writers and actors unions to earn fair compensation from studios and streaming services. Don Mancini explained that the filmmakers saw the strikes looming and worked to at least complete half of the eight-episode run – with the specific goal of having something ready in time for October 2023 and Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights:
When we were shooting, when we saw, you know, about a week or 10 days out that it looked like where things were going, we made sure that we had all the pieces ready for one through four, because it was really important to Universal that they be able to have something for Halloween season, especially this year because Chucky has such a huge presence at the parks for Halloween Horror Nights. It just worked out very well [with the cliffhanger].
The premiere of Chucky Season 3, titled “Murder At 1600,” aired last week, and the second episode, “Let The Right One In,” will debut this Wednesday, October 11, on both Syfy and USA in the show’s regular timeslot at 9:00/8:00c. Peacock subscribers will be able to watch the new episodes on the streaming service the day after their cable premiere, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we will have a lot more stories for you from my interview with Don Mancini.