Child’s Play Reboot Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Out

Rotten Tomatoes has released the initial score for Child’s Play, this weekend’s remake of the ’80s horror staple and the eighth feature film based on the idea. The film has scored over 60%, meaning that it is “fresh” per the Rotten Tomatoes rating system but not high enough to qualify as “Certified Fresh” (75%). Reviews have been mixed, although since the franchise as a whole is not exaclty a critical favorite, the 67% it is currently at ties it for second place in franchise history (with the original Child’s Play). Interestingly, the highest-rated film — Cult of Chucky with a 77% rating — was made in 2017, making it not only the most recent theatrical release prior to the reboot but also the final feature film in the series’ original continuity.

Acclaim doesn’t necessarily put butts in seats for slasher movies, though, and a stagnant franchise for years before Cult of Chucky guaranteed that film went straight to home video and has earned only about $2 million on DVD and Blu-ray. Streaming and licensing numbers are hard to come by, as is the budget for a movie like Cult. The series’ original continuity will supposedly continue into a TV series starring original Chucky Brad Dourif and helmed by creator Don Mancini.

The score has been hanging in that same general area, but fluctuating somewhat. As of this writing, Child’s Play is at 67%, three points higher than the initial score but a point lower than the 68% it was when we checked it an hour ago.

One can hardly blame the studio for hedging their bets on Cult of Chucky; 2004’s Seed of Chucky earned a little bit more than half of the $32 million that Bride of Chucky did in 1998, and even that wasn’t enough to make Bride of Chucky the franchise’s highest-grossing film. No, that honor goes to the original Child’s Play which, even unadjusted for inflation, stands at #1 in the franchise with $33 million and change. Adjusted for inflation, that is nearly $73 million.

Child’s Play is in theaters now. The original film, which was made in 1988, is currently available to stream for free on Amazon Prime (if you’re a member) until July 30, at which point the license will move from Amazon to Hulu.