Chucky is coming to TV. Syfy has given a straight-to-series order to Chucky, a series revolving around the character at the center of the horror/slasher Child’s Play film series, the red-haired, freckled-faced doll possessed by the soul of notorious serial killer, Charles Lee Ray. The series order was announced Saturday during NBCUniversal’s presentation at the TCA Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, CA.

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The series, produced by Universal Content Productions, comes from the Chucky movie franchise creator/writer Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner as well as TV writer-producer Nick Antosca, creator of Syfy’s anthology series Channel Zero, and his studio-based Eat the Cat banner. Emmy-nominated Harley Peyton (Twin Peaks, Syfy’s Channel Zero) will also serve as executive producer. Mancini, who penned the film franchise, will write the adaptation, serve as showrunner and direct the first episode.

Syfy has been expanding the scope of its genre programming beyond sci-fi to other areas, including horror, most recently with the horror anthology series Channel Zero, created/executive produced by Antosca, on which Mancini served as writer-producer.

“The character Don and David created has terrified audiences for over 30 years. The longevity and legacy of Chucky speaks to the creative storytelling and the loyal fans the film series has collected over the years,” said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks – USA & Syfy. “We are excited to once again partner with Nick and UCP on this new Syfy series, and are incredibly proud to bring Chucky to television for the first time with the original creators.”

In the new Chucky television series, after a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets. Meanwhile, the arrival of enemies — and allies — from Chucky’s past threatens to expose the truth behind the killings, as well as the demon doll’s untold origins as a seemingly ordinary child who somehow became this notorious monster.

The project had been in development at the network for over a year. “I’ve long wanted to bring Chucky to television and Syfy is the perfect network for us,” Mancini said at the time. “The show will be a fresh take on the franchise, allowing us to explore Chucky’s character with a depth that is uniquely afforded by the television series format, while staying true to the original vision that has terrorized audiences for over three decades now.”

In 1988, Chucky slashed his way into the pop culture zeitgeist with the premiere of Child’s Play directed and co-written by Tom Holland, produced by Kirschner, and based on a story by Mancini. It spawned six sequels, all of which Mancini wrote and Kirschner produced. Mancini also directed three of the films in the franchise: Seed of Chucky (2004), Curse of Chucky (2013) and Cult of Chucky (2017).

Chucky joins Syfy’s lineup of originals including drama series Resident Alien, Wynonna Earp, Vagrant Queen, Van Helsing and The Magicians (premiering season 5 on January 15); late night animation block TZGZ; and fan-focused franchises produced in conjunction with Syfy Wire like Con After Dark.