Imaginary Release Date, Cast, Director And More Details

Forget ghosts, goblins, and ghouls. For terrifying horror fodder, look no further than a toy box. Indeed, there's something especially sinister about an innocent childhood relic that has been reimagined as a horror villain. That is the thrust behind 1988's "Child's Play," which launched Chucky into the zeitgeist. Other examples abound, including 2014's "Annabelle," which is part of "The Conjuring" universe. Also, who could forget the killer clown doll attack in 1982's "Poltergeist?" When beloved childhood characters enter the public domain, all hell is liable to break loose (we're looking at you, "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey").

The upcoming Blumhouse production "Imaginary" is the latest movie to take an innocuous toy and turn it into an object of terror. In the case of "Imaginary," the toy in question is a plush stuffed bear named Chauncey, who turns out to be much more dangerous than he seems. Here is everything you need to know about "Imaginary."

The "Imaginary" rumor mill began to churn in February 2023, when the horror project received financial backing from Lionsgate. Production was scheduled from May 15 to June 28, and on June 29, one of the film's stars, Taegen Burns, took to Instagram to document her time filming in New Orleans. Some of Burns' colleagues from "Blue Ridge" commented asking about the shoot in The Big Easy, to which she replied, "Really hot, but wonderful!!!" Later posts show Burns and her "Imaginary" co-stars hanging out together in New Orleans.

In May of 2023, Deadline reported that "Imaginary" was set to hit theaters on February 2, 2024. A few months later, however, the release date was pushed back to March 8. It is unclear if the SAG-AFTRA strike had anything to do with the delay, given that shooting wrapped in late June and the strike began in July. In any case, other March 8 releases include "Kung Fu Panda 4" and the Kristen Stewart-starring "Love Lies Bleeding."

"Imaginary" asks whether imaginary friends are as innocent as they seem, or if they signify something darker under the surface. The film follows Jessica as she moves back into her childhood home with her family. When Jessica's stepdaughter, Alice, finds her old stuffed bear, Chauncey, the little girl grows increasingly attached to the toy. In fact, she becomes so attached that her behavior turns disturbing. Jessica is forced to step in, and she realizes that Chauncey is more sinister than he seems.

"Something you see across cultures is that children have a unique access to the spirit world," Keri Moore, a marketing executive at Lionsgate, told Variety. "What if their imaginary friends are something from the spirit world? What if these imaginary friends were real, and what if when you left one of them, that made them upset?"

A Blumhouse production, "Imaginary" recalls some of the company's recent efforts. The terrifying, anthropomorphized teddy bear is straight out of the "Five Nights at Freddy's" playbook, in which animatronic animals turn homicidal. Then there's "M3GAN," which similarly examines the fallout of a child becoming emotionally invested in a dangerous toy.

Indeed, "Imaginary" taps into the creepy little girl trope that runs rampant in horror films. For director Jeff Wadlow, one film in particular was an influence. "I mean, Carol Anne from 'Poltergeist' ruined me," he told Fangoria. "I was a normal kid until I saw that movie in theaters... Since then I've been more than a little disturbed."

DeWanda Wise stars in "Imaginary" as Jessica, the film's beleaguered stepmother to Alice and former owner of Chauncey. Wise is best known for playing Kayla Watts in "Jurassic World Dominion," as well as starring roles in the rom-com "Someone Great" and the television adaptation of "She's Gotta Have It." As an executive producer of "Imaginary," Wise has stayed busy publicizing the upcoming movie.

"We often cite a desire to return to a level of childhood innocence," Wise said in a statement. "But being a kid can be scary! It's full of uncertainty, vulnerability, and monsters that lurk in dark corners. 'Imaginary' is a horror thriller for the kid inside each and every one of us."

Pyper Braun stars as the impressionable Alice, who falls under Chauncey's spell. The young actress has previously appeared in "Country Comfort" and "Desperation Road," among other projects. Rounding out the cast is Tom Payne of "The Walking Dead" fame, theater veteran Betty Buckley, Veronica Falcón, Taegen Burns, and Matthew Sato.

Imaginary was directed by Jeff Wadlow, who is known for directing the Marlon Wayans-starring "The Curse of Bridge Hollow," as well as "Kick-Ass 2." He has a longstanding relationship with Blumhouse, which is co-financing "Imaginary" with Lionsgate. Wadlow directed the Blumhouse horror flicks "Truth or Dare" in 2018 and "Fantasy Island" in 2020. Wadlow's horror chops extend to writing, and he worked as a writer on "Bates Motel" and "The Strain." Wadlow co-wrote the "Imaginary" script with Greg Erb and Jason Oremland.

Wadlow and Jason Blum serve as producers, while Ryan Turek and DeWanda Wise are the film's executive producers. In an interview with Deadline, Wadlow expanded on Wise's role in the production. "DeWanda has been more than a star on this movie – she has been a full creative partner," he said. "So much of horror grows out of our most basic fears from childhood, and DeWanda taps into all of that. You know that old saying that the audience's imagination is scarier than any movie? We're going to put that to the test."

Blumhouse is known for the aforementioned "Five Nights at Freddy's" and "M3GAN," as well as films like "The Purge," "The Invisible Man," and "The Black Phone." Lionsgate has also earned its horror clout, having collaborated with Eli Roth and Rob Zombie. It's also the studio behind the "Saw" franchise.

The "Imaginary" trailer starts off innocently enough. With "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" by The Temptations playing in the background, Jessica and her family move into their new home, where Alice meets her new friend, Chauncey, and does a scavenger hunt. When the game implores Alice to do "something that hurts," she willingly plunges a nail into her arm. From that point on, it's clear that Chauncey has sinister motives rooted in the supernatural. "You were always playing with your imaginary friend," one character tells Jessica. "When the connection is severed, the entity becomes enraged."

The trailer dropped online in November, but before it did, Lionsgate launched a theatrical campaign teasing "Imaginary" before screenings of "Five Nights at Freddy's." The promo featured a child's voice saying, "Hi, wanna play a game with me? Close your eyes and use your imagination." During the teaser, the screen stayed mostly black as menacing sounds played in the background, suggesting that one's imagination can be a scarier place than actual images.

Jeff Wadlow insisted that even the full online trailer is just a glimpse at what "Imaginary" has to offer. "I'm so excited for people to see the trailer because it barely scratches the surface of our movie," he told Fangoria. "There is so much more to show... But we're holding it back, letting you fill in the blanks yourself." The director went on to add, "Nothing is scarier than your own imagination."