Junior from Problem Child and Chucky from Child’s Play could have shared the screen decades ago… and the world would have been better for it. Problem Child writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski have confirmed that they once pitched Universal Pictures on a crossover between the two franchises, a Problem Child/Child’s Play horror comedy mashup that would have brought Junior face-to-face with the murderous Good Guy doll.
Unfortunately, Universal passed.
The bizarre piece of movie history resurfaced this week after Alexander and Karaszewski appeared at Cinematic Void’s Problem Child: The Whole Bloody Affair double feature at the American Cinematheque’s Los Feliz 3. The event featured screenings of Problem Child and Problem Child 2, followed by a Q&A with director Brian Levant, Alexander, Karaszewski, and stars Amy Yasbeck, Ivyann Schwan, and Eric Edwards.
But there’s now confirmation directly from the writers themselves. Following the story’s resurfacing on social media and Dread Central, the writers confirmed on Facebook that they really did pitch the crossover sometime in the 1990s.
Problem Child vs. Chucky would have been Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein-style
According to the writers, the proposed movie was intended to have the spirit of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, the classic 1948 horror comedy that brought the comedy team of Abbott and Costello together with Universal monsters including Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and the Wolf Man.
In other words, the idea wasn’t to suddenly turn Problem Child into a straight horror movie. It would have been a horror comedy crossover, using the contrasting personalities of Junior and Chucky as the foundation for the story. The writers confirmed that they pitched the concept to Universal, but “no one bit.” That’s a shame, because the timing was perfect.
Problem Child and Child’s Play were both Universal franchises
Problem Child opened in theaters on July 27, 1990, establishing Junior as one of the wildest kids in movie history. Universal then released Child’s Play 2 on November 9, 1990. The franchises continued side-by-side the following year. Problem Child 2 arrived on July 3, 1991, while Child’s Play 3 followed on August 30. Universal had two successful franchises aimed at different audiences, but both revolving around children and chaos.
Junior is a deeply troubled kid whose outrageous behavior masks a desperate desire to be loved. Chucky is Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer whose soul has been transferred into a children’s toy. Put them together and you’ve got an obvious horror comedy setup. Junior meets a doll. The doll tries to kill him. Junior is probably not impressed.
Junior and Chucky could have made a surprisingly good team
The Problem Child movies already treated Junior as something of a pint-sized terror. In Problem Child 2, he encounters Trixie, another troublesome child who initially becomes his rival before the two eventually join forces. Chucky, meanwhile, spent his early movies targeting children while hiding behind the appearance of an innocent toy.
That creates an obvious question: what would happen if Chucky encountered a kid who was already behaving like a little monster? Would Chucky try to recruit Junior? Would Junior figure out that the doll was evil? Would the two become partners in crime? Or would Junior simply drive Chucky completely insane? Sadly, we’ll never know.
Chucky eventually became a horror comedy icon
The proposed crossover also makes more sense when looking at how the Child’s Play franchise evolved. The original 1988 Child’s Play was primarily a horror movie, with Chucky presented as a genuinely terrifying killer. But subsequent installments gradually introduced more comedy and self-awareness, eventually becoming over-the-top horror comedy that embraced increasingly bizarre ideas.
Meanwhile, Alexander and Karaszewski had been pushing the Problem Child movies toward increasingly outrageous comedy of their own. The writers have described their approach to the Problem Child films as essentially trying to make John Waters movies for children. (Note: John Waters has played two roles in the Child’s Play franchise.)
So while Problem Child vs. Chucky may sound absurd, the two franchises were actually heading toward compatible territory.
We’ll never know what Problem Child vs. Chucky could have been
We don’t know exactly what Alexander and Karaszewski’s proposed movie would have looked like. The writers have not revealed a detailed plot for the project. What we do know is that the Problem Child/Child’s Play crossover was pitched to Universal in the 1990s and envisioned as a horror-comedy in the tradition of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Universal wasn’t interested, but it’s hard not to wonder what might have happened if the studio had said yes.
Would you have watched Problem Child vs. Chucky? What do you think the movie should have been about? Let us know in the comments below.
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