He’s not imaginary, and he’s not your friend. Blumhouse’s Imaginary hits theaters this weekend.
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.
Imaginary is directed by Jeff Wadlow, written by Jeff Wadlow & Greg Erb & Jason Oremland and produced by Jason Blum, Jeff Wadlow, p.g.a.
Imaginary stars DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Veronica Falcon and Betty Buckley.
Imaginary is Wadlow’s third collaboration with Blumhouse, including the box office hit Truth or Dare. “We have a lot of trust in Jeff’s ability,” says producer Jason Blum. “So, when he came to us with the idea behind the film, we were excited to explore his imaginary world. Jeff brings a unique vision and storytelling expertise to every project he's involved in, and his passion for the horror genre shines through in IMAGINARY. Jeff has a strong understanding of what makes horror films resonate with audiences, and his creative approach to blending psychological horror with childhood themes is what made us so enthusiastic about this project. His ability to craft compelling characters and build tension is exceptional.”
The monsters and specters haunting Jessica and her new family are the creation of the award-winning animatronic and practical effects house Spectral Motion. The company created the story’s creatures — Chauncey, and the fabrications and costume for a fearsome giant Spider, the shadowy Entity, and Chauncey’s monstrous alter ego, Bear Beast.
According to creature effects supervisor Mark Viniello, Spectral Motion largely used puppets to bring these terrifying beings to life, which facilitated their interaction with the cast members. Instead of pretending to emote opposite a visual effect that would be added months later, the actors had a tactile “being” to interact with.
Lionsgate and Blumhouse present, a Tower of Babble production.
Prorom will release Imaginary in Hungary and Slovakia (on March 7), Romania and Bulgaria (on March 8), Czech Republic (on March 14).
