Aubrey Plaza: Child’s Play remake “smart” & “Spielbergian”

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The trailer for director Lars Klevberg's (POLAROID) CHILD'S PLAY remake starring Aubrey Plaza as Andy's Mom, Brian Tyree Henry as Mike and Gabriel Bateman (LIGHTS OUT) as Andy hit a week or so ago. It impressed me for what it was and I'm looking forward to checking out the movie when it creeps and crawls (and stabs and maims) it's tiny-ass into theaters this summer. And it turns out the new movie's main star, Aubrey Plaza is excited to see it as well. Turns out, like all of us, she's only seen the trailer. But that said, in a recent interview with THR, Plaza teased her turn in the upcoming reboot of CHILD'S PLAY saying things such as "buckle up" it's a "real throwback horror movie" with "a Spielbergian vibe to it." 

Specifically, here's what Aubrey Plaza has to say on the remake:

Buckle up. I love it so much. To me, the original is an iconic movie. I haven't seen our film, just the trailer, but it's a real throwback horror movie. It's almost got a Spielbergian vibe to it. The reason I did it was for how beautiful the script was. It doesn't feel like a hokey, shticky, campy movie. If you remember the original Child's Play, it was a drama! It wasn't that funny. As the franchise went on, it became something else. The remake really captures the original.

She continues:

I play Karen, the mother, and I have less interaction with Chucky than the actor who plays my son does. I can't reveal too much. We're not supposed to talk about Chucky. It builds for Karen in a way that I'm interacting with Chucky by the end, but I'm mostly dealing with my son — who I almost believe is behind the mayhem. The horror of it all will be for the audience. For me, it's more of a psychological thriller. I would only do certain remakes. This is smart. The messaging behind the film is different. Technology becomes the villain. That's a real thing that I can get behind. It scares the shit out of me.

Spielbergian, huh? Well, you don't read shit like that every day. But whatever, I'm glad Plaza is excited about the movie. That said, for me, Plaza loses a point or two for saying "For me, it's more of a psychological thriller," which as we all know is what people ALWAYS say when they don't want to be associated with a dirty old "horror" movie. Boo. Not hating on Plaza here. But, boo. The upcoming remake's official synopsis reads:

A mother (Plaza) gives her son (Bateman) a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature.

The remake is directed by Lars Klevberg (POLAROID) from a screenplay written by KUNG FURY 2 writer Tyler Burton Smith with STEPHEN KING'S IT producers David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith producing. Aaron Schmidt and Chris Ferguson executive produced. Beatrice Kitsos, Ty Consiglio, and Carlease Burke co-star. CHILD'S PLAY stalks and slashes its tiny terrifying ass into your local multiplex come June 21, 2019.