A new trailer has been released for Buddy, the bizarre new horror-comedy from Too Many Cooks creator Casper Kelly. Starring Cristin Milioti, Keegan-Michael Key, Topher Grace, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt, the movie turns a beloved children’s television mascot into a nightmare. You can watch the new Buddy trailer in the embed above.
Buddy is coming to theaters on August 28, 2026, from Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.
The film’s official synopsis reads:
“Remember BUDDY—the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic children’s television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the colorful world of It’s Buddy!, children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy isn’t pleased, and cracks begin to appear in the seemingly perfect world.”
That setup allows Kelly to take something wholesome and turn it into something deeply unsettling.
Buddy comes from the creator of Too Many Cooks
Casper Kelly became an internet sensation with the Adult Swim short Too Many Cooks, which begins as an absurd parody of television sitcom opening credits before gradually transforming into something much darker. Kelly has since worked on projects including Adult Swim Yule Log, Adult Swim Yule Log 2: Branchin’ Out, a segment of V/H/S/Halloween, and episodes of Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell.
That makes the movie particularly intriguing for horror fans who enjoy surreal, unpredictable genre stories. The trailers suggest that Kelly is once again starting with something familiar and harmless before pulling the audience into much stranger territory.
Kelly directed Buddy from a screenplay he wrote with Jamie King.
The movie premiered in the Midnight section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival before heading toward its theatrical release. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray previously reviewed Buddy, giving it a 6/10 score. While praising the film’s opening act as “mostly brilliant,” he felt the story lost momentum after leaving Buddy’s television world before recovering during its finale.
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the cheerful host of a children’s television show turned out to be an extremely violent nightmare, Casper Kelly appears to have the answer. Are you looking forward to Buddy? What do you think of the new trailer? Let us know in the comments.
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