With recent hits like M3GAN, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and The Black Phone, horror studio Blumhouse continues to dominate the genre with their newest offering, Imaginary.
A harmless teddy bear is the next villain in their horror story. Jeff Wadlow’s latest horror film probes “into the innocence of imaginary friends” and asks whether these fictional characters are only a product of our imagination or if there is anything more sinister lurking under their surface.
A family’s move to a new house, symbolizing their desire for a new beginning, is where the film begins. Scare movie buffs know this is asking for trouble, and sure enough, the situation quickly takes a dark turn, endangering the lives of everyone involved.
Imaginary Movie Release Date
Variety reported in November 2023 that the March 8, 2024, release date of “Imaginary” is still in the works. “Imaginary” concluded before the needlessly protracted WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which delayed numerous films that were aiming for first-quarter theatrical placements. There is plenty of time for director Jeff Wadlow and his post-production staff to lock up the movie now that everyone is back to work.
Imaginary Cast
- DeWanda Wise as Jessica
- Pyper Braun as Alice
- Tom Payne
- Betty Buckley
- Taegen Burns
- Matthew Sato
- Veronica Falcón
- Dane DiLiegro
Imaginary Movie Plot
The protagonist, Jessica, and her family relocate back to the house she grew up in at the beginning of the story of Mental. Alice, her youngest stepdaughter, has a strange bond with a teddy bear called Chauncey that she discovers in the basement shortly after her arrival.
Initially innocent and fun, Alice and Chauncey’s activities quickly take a dark turn. Chauncey is more than just a teddy bear, and Jessica steps in to help.
The official summary, as released by Blumhouse, is as follows:
“An original horror film tapped into the innocence of imaginary friends—and begged the question: Are they figments of childhood imagination, or is something far more terrifying lying beneath?” This statement is made by Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s.
“Alice, Jessica’s youngest stepdaughter, finds a stuffed bear called Chauncey in the basement and develops an eerie attachment to it,” says Pyper Braun of Alice. This happens when Jessica and her family move back into the old house. Alice and Chauncey begin playing games that start innocent but quickly become wicked.
“As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more worrying, Jessica steps in, only to discover that Chauncey is a lot more than the stuffed toy bear she imagined him to be.”
Imaginary Movie Creators
Jeff Wadlow helms Imaginary, based on a script he co-wrote with Jason Oremland and Greg Erb. Horror is Wadlow’s specialty; he directed Jon Bon Jovi’s 2005 film Cry Wolf, Lucy Hale’s Truth or Dare (2018), Michael Pena’s Fantasy Island revival in 2020, and Marlon Wayans in The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022). Jason Blum, Jeff Wadlow, and Ryan Turek are the producers of the project. Blumhouse is behind the production.
Imaginary Movie: About the Director
Imaginary is headed by horror veteran Jeff Wadlow, who has a wealth of expertise in the industry. In 2002, he directed his first short film, The Tower of Babble. His first feature film, 2005’s Cry Wolf, was directed by him.
Following a young guy as he moves to a new town in the wake of a girl’s death, he befriends a gang whose only purpose is to propagate false information. They stage a genuine carnage after convincing everyone that a serial murderer was responsible for the most recent incident.
Comedy True Memoirs of an International Assassin, the sequels Kick-Ass 2 and Never Back Down, and several more films followed. Truth or Dare, his 2018 horror film debut, follows a group of vacationing friends as they play a game of truth or dare in an abandoned chapel on their last night, leading to a curse that befalls them.
Fantasy Island, another horror film he made in 2020, takes place on a beautiful island where the eccentric Mr. Roarke grants the wishes of those who come. However, as time goes on and the place’s sinister secret is exposed, those fantasies eventually become nightmares.
Imaginary Movie Trailer
The Imaginary Teaser stands out from the crowd because it appeals to both your sense of smell and your innate aversion to the unknown. A creepy young girl’s voice tells you to shut your eyes right at the start. When the screen goes dark and additional eerie sounds start to play, they’ll do it for you if you’re too scared (like me) or too stubborn (good for you) to follow the instructions.
In addition to the child’s counting, there is the sound of a foreboding music box tune, the sound of footsteps, and the creak of a door. The use of sound is intriguing and risky, but it pays off because, let’s face it, nobody is completely immune to night terrors.
The command to open your eyes will be given to you sometime around the midway point. The visual effects will make you feel as if you’re blinking as the screen flashes through terrifying scenes from the film, complete with frightened characters and monsters.