Universal Once Turned Down a ‘Problem Child vs. Chucky’ Movie

Here’s one I certainly never knew existed.

Apparently, at some point in the early 1990s, Problem Child screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski actually pitched Universal Pictures on a crossover between Junior and Child’s Play‘s Chucky.

Yes, Problem Child vs. Chucky.

The revelation came out Sunday night during Cinematic Void’s “Problem Child: The Whole Bloody Affair,” a 35mm double feature of Problem Child and Problem Child 2 at the American Cinematheque‘s Los Feliz 3. The screening was followed by a Q&A with director Brian Levant, Alexander and Karaszewski, and actors Amy Yasbeck, Ivyann Schwan and Eric Edwards.

According to writer and film critic Bill Bria, who attended the screening, Alexander and Karaszewski revealed during the Q&A that they once pitched Universal on a Problem Child vs. Chucky movie.

Universal turned them down.

Another wild revelation from last night was when Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander said that they indeed once pitched Universal on a PROBLEM CHILD VS CHUCKY movie. The studio turned it down. https://t.co/rDTVerYnjQ

— Bill Bria (@billbria) September 7, 2026

And while that sounds completely insane at first, the more I thought about it, the more I realized these two franchises were practically living next door to each other at Universal.

Problem Child opened on July 27, 1990. Just over three months later, Universal released Child’s Play 2 on November 9. Then things got even tighter the following year: Problem Child 2 opened July 3, 1991, and Child’s Play 3 followed on August 30. Universal was actively making and releasing both franchises at almost exactly the same time.