If you watched the trailer for the family-friendly comedy IF and thought “that’s cute, but what if all of my imaginary friends were vaguely demonic” then Imaginary is the film for you.
Imaginary is the latest film to turn your beloved childhood friends into cold-blooded enemies, which is just what we all need right now after Barbie made everyone all nostalgic and whatnot. It’s time for people to be scared again! The Blumhouse production, from Kick-Ass 2 director Jeff Wadlow, will attempt to make you turn on your favorite plushes in a way that Five Nights At Freddy’s never could. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming horror flick.
Plot
The movie follows a woman named Jessica, who moves back to her childhood home with her new family and step-children. Jessica’s stepdaughter Alice becomes attached to a little bear named Chauncey she finds unsuspectingly lurking in a dusty basement, at first, everything seems fine, but then Jessica starts to become suspicious that the cute bear might not be an innocent stuffed animal, much like fellow scammer, Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear.
Here is the official synopsis:
From Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S and M3GAN, comes an original horror that taps into the innocence of imaginary friends – and begs the question: Are they really figments of childhood imagination or is something more terrifying lying just beneath?
When Jessica (DeWanda 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.
Wise told EW that adults tend to yearn for childhood while forgetting how hard being a kid can be, which is why it’s the perfect way to spook some adults. “We often cite a desire to return to a level of childhood innocence, 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.”
Cast
The film stars Jurassic World Dominion’s DeWanda Wise alongside The Walking Dead’s Tom Payne. Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Veronica Falcon, and Betty Buckley also star.
Chauncy The Bear plays himself, after what was likely a long and grueling audition process. Unfortunately for his dedicated fans, Lil’ Cub Pudding did not make the cut.
Release Date
After being delayed, Imaginary is expected to hit theaters on March 8th. Since it’s a Lionsgate film, we can expect it to land on Peacock sometime later this year after its initial theatrical release.
Trailer
The first teaser, which dropped alongside Five Nights At Freddy’s last fall, invited viewers to close their eyes and “imagine” what was happening. Thankfully, they dropped a real trailer soon after that so you don’t have to think so hard. Check it out below.