How Chucky Creator Don Mancini Took Inspiration From James Bond To Bring The Series To Life - Exclusive
Creator Don Mancini was delighted to bring "Chucky" back for a second season, especially as it meant he got to work with all of his favorite people again. "At the end of Season 1, we all felt almost like tennis players who were in shape because we'd been working at it for so long and it was like, 'Oh, we're in a groove now,'" he tells Looper. "It was great to be able to come back so quickly and get into it and feel like we were at the top of our game. That was especially helpful for the puppeteers."
A whole host of characters have returned for Season 2, including Jennifer Tilly's Tiffany and Fiona Dourif's Nica. But in an interesting move, Mancini also asked Devon Sawa to come back for the new season in a brand new role. "One of the things I'm driven by is giving the actors new things to play," he explains. "I love working with actors over and over. I love writing for actors that I know and giving them new things to do. I have occasionally brought actors back to the franchise in different roles."
In an exclusive interview with Looper, Don Mancini reveals the unusual way in which the James Bond franchise inspired "Chucky."
Bringing actors back in new roles
Viewers might be surprised to see "Final Destination" icon Devon Sawa returning for the second season of "Chucky," after both of his Season 1 characters met grisly fates. However, series creator Don Mancini drew inspiration from a surprising place when he decided to ask Sawa to come back. "I'm a huge James Bond fan, and one of the things I've loved about that franchise and the way the Broccolis have conducted it is they've always [brought actors back in different roles]," he explains. "They will have, for example, Maud Adams play a character in 'The Man with the Golden Gun' and then 10 years later have her come back in a completely new role as 'Octopussy.' They've done that with several actors and characters over the years, and I loved that they have this repertory company and they're able to keep their narrative going but change it up in this fun way."
As a result, Mancini knew that he could use Sawa in a brand new way in Season 2. "It was partly inspired by that, but I also get attached to people," he says. "It's like, 'Oh, I like working with you. Let's keep you around.' Devon Sawa is the latest example. We all loved working with him on Season 1, so it's like, 'We should have him back. We'll have him come back in a completely different role.' It's been great; I love doing that."
New episodes of "Chucky" premiere on SYFY and USA Network every Wednesday.