Personally, I love the funny Chucky movies. Bride of Chucky is the smartest and cleverest of the self-referential ‘90s horror movement, and Seed of Chucky opens up so many more possibilities I want to see where else they go. But word is the only way we’ll see Chucky again is in a rebooted remake.

Don Mancini, the writer of all five Chucky films is still writing the remake. I’ve known Mancini for 10 years and I’ve heard some of the ideas that never even made it into the 1988 Child’s Play. He never had voodoo or a serial killer. In his version, the Good Guys dolls were made with synthetic blood, and Andy brought Chucky to life by doing bloo brothers. The murderous rampage was the manifestation of Andy’s id.

If the new Child’s Play does that, that would be a reason to start over. Mancini spoke at a Q&A for a screening of Seed of Chucky, and mentioned that remaking Child’s Play poses logistical problems. The original film was MGM, but Universal bought the rights to the sequels. If they want to remake the original though, they’d have joint rights to deal with, and we all know how messy it is trying to make an MGM franchise. Mancini spoke with me after the public Q&A for more details on the new Child’s Play.

Screen Junkies: There’s obviously room to continue this series of Chucky films, but is reboot the only way you’re thinking of going at this point?

Don Mancini: I’m personally open to other things but I think that’s what the studio wants, because this movie didn’t do very well so I think the feeling is that Chucky’s viability, his future is in the more straightforward horror vein. I was talking about the rights issues before, I don’t think it’s necessarily what we’ll end up doing as a strict remake. I think we’ll reboot it in the sense that it will just be more conventionally scary and it will only be Chucky and we won’t have Tiffany and Glen, but it won’t necessarily be a strict remake.

SJ: Will you be able to use some of those original ideas you had for Child’s Play?

DM: It’s one of the things we’re talking about. I can’t say too much about it but one of the things we’re alluding to, it’s one of the things that we’re talking about. I would like that, the psychological aspect of it. You seem to remember it very well.

SJ: Losing the voodoo, using the kid’s blood to bring the doll to life…

DM: We’d definitely keep the mythology of Charles Lee Ray, the idea of Chucky being possessed by a killer rather than what you’re referring to, that Chucky was the embodiment of this boy’s id.

SJ: In the 22 years since Child’s Play, have you had new ideas for how an origin of Chucky could be?

DM: Yes. We’ve explored a number of different possible scenarios. I’m definitely pushing to go in a very disturbing direction because I feel like if we’re going to go back to it being a horror movie, let’s make it really disturbing.

SJ: Are you planning to direct as well?

DM: Yeah, I mean, I hope so. That’s what we’re talking about.

SJ: Would we still recognize the Good Guys doll or would you reinvent that too?

DM: Oh yes, I think we would do a slight redesign on him but not so much that you wouldn’t. He’s got to be recognizably Chucky. I think we’ll take the scars away.

SJ: That makes sense, because in an origin story his face wouldn’t have gotten messed up yet.

DM: Right.

SJ: Would Brad Dourif still be the voice?

DM: If I have anything to say about it, and David [Kirschner] and Corey [Sienega] too.