Jennifer Tilly, Don Mancini React To ‘CHUCKY’ Cancellation

After three seasons, dozens of kills and countless Devon Sawa (Final Destination 2000) characters, Chucky is not returning for a fourth season on Syfy and USA Network. The cancellation of the show, which premiered on Oct. 12, 2021, was announced on Sept. 27, following months of #RenewChucky trending on X thanks to the efforts of fans and cast members alike. However, those efforts were for naught, with May’s cliff-hanger Season 3 finale serving as the official end of the series.

Chucky

Shortly after the devastating news broke, creator Don Mancini and the Chucky cast took to social media to share their heartbreak, but also optimism for the future of everyone’s favorite Good Guys doll.

Mancini said in a statement:

“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. 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.”

Jennifer Tilly (Bound 1996), who, as Tiffany Valentine, escapes the death penalty in Season 3 and returns to wreck havoc with her beloved Chucky (Brad Dourif, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1975), said:

“So sad to announce that after three wonderful seasons the television series Chucky has finally been canceled. First I’d like to thank our fans, who managed to keep the #RenewChucky hashtag trending for MONTHS! Without your loyalty and tenacity Chucky would never have endured for thirty years. We’re really proud of our show. It has been a wonderful miracle working with this talented cast and crew. We were very lucky to have the leadership of our brilliant captain Don Mancini. But (to quote Call of Duty) we are ‘down but not out.’ Resurrections are Chucky’s specialties and he has many of them! In the meantime, if you want to watch three seasons of a phenomenal show (100% on the Tomatometer!) you can check out seasons one, two and three streaming on Peacock. Peace out. We love you all.”

Fiona Dourif (Don’t Look at the Demon 2022), who in Season 3 finally shares the screen with her father as they take on different iterations of Charles Lee Ray in the Spirit Realm (check out our interview with the Dourifs), said:

“This job was a dream and I am grateful for every last moment of it.”

Zackary Arthur (The 5th Wave 2016 [our interview]), who has been battling Chucky since 2021, when Jake Wheeler bought him from a fateful yard sale, said:

“For the past four years, I got the pleasure of working with some of the most talented, caring, and driven people I’ve met. The time I’ve spent working on Chucky not only spawned some of the greatest moments in my life, but also gained me life long invaluable friends. To the viewers — this franchise would not have gotten to where it is without you. I am so grateful that I got to be part of a project that I have heard has helped many people in their own lives. Chucky always comes back.”

When PopHorror spoke with Mancini in April (our interview), he revealed that a storyline for Season 4 was pitched to the network. While he stressed that it wasn’t Chucky in space, it’s safe to say that it would have continued the shocking twist of Jake, Lexy Cross (Alyvia Alyn Lind, The Spiderwick Chronicles 2024) and Devon Evans (Bjorgvin Arnarson, The Seventh Day 2021) being transformed into dolls at the mansion of Good Guys creator/”father” Wendell Wilkins (John Waters, Seed of Chucky 2004 [our interview]).

Hopefully, as Mancini has hinted in the past, a new edition to the Chucky film franchise is on its way to tie up loose ends…and hilariously kill off Sawa a handful more times.

About Samantha Bambino

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