Child’s Play Co-Writer John Lafia Commits Suicide

Screenwriter John Lafia, who co-wrote horror film Child’s Play and also co-wrote and directed Child's Play 2, committed suicide at the age of 63. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, the cause of death was suicide. Lafia collaborated with director Tom Holland and Don Mancini on the horror movie screenplay, and was credited with coining the name Chucky. He also gave the famous line, "Hi, I'm Chucky, wanna play?" Child's Play creator and screenwriter Don Mancini said, "We're devastated to hear of the passing of our friend John Lafia. He was a crucial part of the Chucky family from the very beginning. He let me tag along with him to every meeting, and shadow him on set; he taught me more about filmmaking during the production of that movie than several semesters in film school. John was also one of the most naturally curious and constantly creative people I ever met, someone who was always taking pictures, and jotting down ideas," John was survived by his children, Tess and Kane, and his former wife Beverly. Born in 1957, Lafia's first major production was The Blue Iguana, which he wrote and directed also produced its soundtrack. In 1993, he wrote and directed the science fiction film Man's Best Friend. His last project was the TV movie Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone in 2006, starring Scott Foley and Richard Burgi.