Child's Play (1988 film)

Child's Play is a 1988 American slasher film directed by Tom Holland, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Don Mancini and John Lafia based on a story by Mancini. The film stars Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon with Brad Dourif as Chucky. Its plot follows a widowed mother who gives a new doll to her son, unaware that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.

Child's Play was released in the United States on November 9, 1988, by MGM/UA Communications Co. through its United Artists label. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed more than $44 million against a production budget of $9 million. Along with the film gaining a 1980s cult following, the box office success also spawned a media franchise that includes a series of six sequels, a television series, merchandise, comic books, and a reboot. The original Child's Play film was distributed by United Artists, although the rights to the series were sold to Universal Pictures in 1990. MGM (via United Artists) retained the rights to the original film and Orion Pictures (through United Artists Releasing) also distributed the reboot in 2019.