Come out, come out, wherever you are — Chauncey the Teddy Bear wants to play.
The latest installment of Blumhouse‘s creepy toys gone astray horror subgenre, “Imaginary” centers on a decades-spanning story of a (possibly) demonic stuffed animal that torments both mother and stepdaughter.
DeWanda Wise stars as Jessica, a mom who moves back into her childhood home, where she is reunited with her old teddy bear. Her stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) has an eerie link to the toy, however, forcing Jessica to reexamine her own traumatic past. Or is it just all in Jessica’s head?
The official synopsis reads: “When Jessica (Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister. As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.”
Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Veronica Falcon, and Betty Buckley also star.
“Truth or Dare” helmer Jeff Wadlow directs from a script he co-wrote with Greg Erb, Jason Oremland, and Bryce McGuire. “Jurassic World Dominion” actress Wise produces the film along with Jason Blum and writer-director Wadlow. Ryan Turek executive produces.
“Not all imaginary friends are friendly…at least that’s what the characters at the heart of ‘Imaginary’ are about to find out,” writer/director/producer Wadlow said in a press statement. “I love making films that play with the audience’s perception of what is real and what is not, so a horror movie that explores the frightening possibilities of imaginary friends was the perfect sandbox for me to play in. I think the movie we made is filled with unexpected twists, big scares, and above all else, a ton of thrilling fun.”
Wadlow continued, “DeWanda, Pyper, and Taegen, the characters at the center of our story, are not only believable as a blended family but a blast to watch as the tale unfolds. I think audiences are going to love watching them go toe to toe with Chauncey, our evil little bear. I promise, you’ll never look at a Teddy the same way again.”
“Imaginary” premieres March 8 in theaters from Lionsgate. Check out the new trailer below.
