Blumhouse's latest horror flick, Imaginary is essentially the updated and more horrifying version of the 1999 Disney Channel original movie, Don’t Look Under the Bed. In that film, fun and friendly “imaginary friends” that children have can turn into grotesque “boogeymen” creatures if their child is forced to grow up too quickly and forget about them before they’re ready. In Imaginary, a woman named Jessica returns to her childhood home with her family and her youngest stepdaughter discovers an old teddy bear that was left behind and quickly forms a bond with it, calling him Chauncey. Sounds heartwarming, right? Wrong. Read on to find out more about the plot, cast, and everything we know about this upcoming “nightmare fuel” movie!

Does ‘Imaginary’ Have a Release Date?

Imaginary is set to have a theatrical release on Friday, March 8, distributed by Lionsgate. The movie was originally scheduled to have a release date of February 2, but when the first teaser trailer for Imaginary was revealed at the October premiere of Five Nights at Freddy's, the release date was changed to March 8, 2024. The teaser was nothing more than audio, with the screen prompting the audience to “close their eyes and imagine,” utilizing the theatrical 7.1 surround sound audio alone to invoke ideas (and fears) about what the movie would be like. Imaginary will be competing with a few other highly-anticipated releases on the same day; the animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 4, the romantic crime thriller Love Lies Bleeding, the biographical film Cabrini, and the comedy-drama movie Accidental Texan.

Watch the ‘Imaginary’ Trailers

The first official trailer from Lionsgate was posted roughly 3 months ago, following the mostly audio-only teaser that was released during the premiere of Five Nights at Freddy’s. You can see the height markers on the wall as Jessica walks through her childhood home on the move-in day and notice that it appears that she was only 5 years old when she moved away, which could have something to do with her premature abandonment of Chauncey Bear. Watch the trailer below!

The second official trailer was just released last month and provides viewers with a little more content to stimulate their imaginations while they await the movie’s release. Watch the second trailer below!

What Is ‘Imaginary’ About?

Imaginary follows Jessica, a woman who purchases and moves back into her childhood home with her family, including stepdaughters Taylor and Alice. When Alice, the younger sister, discovers a teddy bear in the basement, she quickly becomes attached to it, calling him “Chauncey.” As it turns out, Chauncey belonged to Jessica when she was a young girl, and she inadvertently left him behind when she moved away. She is initially excited and happy to see Alice playing with her beloved childhood teddy bear but starts to worry when some of the games that Alice plays with Chauncey become more sinister. After she witnesses Alice injuring herself while following the “orders” that Chauncey gave her, she reaches out for professional help from a psychologist, Dr. Alana Soto, and another woman, Gloria, who has years of research and experience in dealing with what people across different cultures refer to as “imaginary friends.”

The official synopsis from Lionsgate reads:

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.

Who’s in the Cast of ‘Imaginary’?

The main protagonist, Jessica, will be portrayed by DeWanda Wise. She is best known for her role as Swan in the 2021 comedy-drama Fatherhood, but has most recently been in Jurassic World Dominion as Kayla Watts, June Del Ray in Chris Pine’s Poolman, and the television drama series Three Women as Sloane. Jessica’s stepdaughters, Taylor and Alice, will be played by Taegan Burns and Pyper Braun, respectively. Burns is known for her performances in The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers as Maya Kasper, and in addition to her upcoming appearance in Imaginary, she is also featured in the upcoming television drama, Blue Ridge. Pyper Braun is a 10-year-old actress who has been acting since she was 4 years old. She’s also a competitive dancer and won the national title for dance soloist in 2019. Since then, she’s starred in Netflix’s comedy series, Country Comfort, Nickelodeon’s Erin & Aaron, and Disney Jr.’s SuperKitties.

Joining them in the cast is Veronica Falcón (Queen of the South) as Dr. Alana Soto. Falcón previously acted in multiple major films and series such as Ozark, Perry Mason, Jungle Cruise, and most recently, A Million Miles Away. Gloria, who is seemingly the “expert” on imaginary friends, will be played by Betty Buckley. Similar to Lin Shaye, Buckley has a taste for horror movies, with performances in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split as Dr. Karen Fletcher and The Happening, as Mrs. Jones. Aside from her Shyamalan ventures, she also had a role in the original 1976 Stephen King horror film, Carrie, as Miss Collins. Most recently, she appeared in the latest season of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit as Trial Division Chief Lorraine Maxwell.

Tom Payne will be playing a character named Max, but it’s unclear what his role in Imaginary will be, as he doesn’t appear in the trailers. He could be the biological father of Taylor and Alice, or possibly a new suitor for Jessica since she’s moved back to her childhood home (seemingly) single. Payne is an English actor, with major roles in television series such as The Walking Dead as Paul “Jesus” Rovia, and Prodigal Son as Malcolm Bright. Dane DiLiegro, who embodied the Predator in the 2022 film Prey, will revamp his role as a terrifying, hulking creature in Imaginary as the physical embodiment of Chauncey Bear. This 6’8” actor from Massachusetts weighs approximately 245 lbs and spent 8 years playing professional basketball in Italy and Israel before utilizing his physical attributes for acting in creature roles like “Ba’al” in American Horror Stories, “Muscle Monster” from Sweet Home, and most recently, “Unsavory Octopus” in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Additionally, Matthew Sato (Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.) will play Liam, who appears to be a new friend of Taylor’s in the trailer. Alix Angelis (The Magnificent Seven) will play a character named Samantha, but it’s unclear what her role in the movie will be.

Who Is Making ‘Imaginary’?

Filming for Imaginary took place in New Orleans, LA between May and late June 2023. The horror flick is directed by Jeff Wadlow (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) and written by Wadlow, Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland, the latter two having collaborated previously as writers for Disney's The Princess and the Frog. Wadlow also directed and produced Fantasy Island and The Curse of Bridge Hallow and will co-produce Imaginary with Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions. Blumhouse has been pumping out horror movies since 2000, with its most recent successes including M3GAN, The Black Phone, the Insidious Franchise, the Paranormal Activity franchise, Get Out, The Purge franchise, and many more. The music for Imaginary was composed by Bear McCreary, who most recently composed the score for the vampire film, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and the Blumhouse film, Freaky. In addition to Blumhouse Productions and Jeff Wadlow, Tower of Babble Entertainment will also produce, following the production company’s previous collaboration with Wadlow on Fantasy Island.

What Is 'Imaginary' Rated?

Imaginary has been rated PG-13 for "some violent content, drug material and language." With a budget of $13 million and a runtime of 104 minutes. According to Box Office Pro, Imaginary has been forecasted to make $15-$20 million at the box office on opening weekend and a domestic total range of $37-$63 million throughout its theatrical run. Given the film’s PG-13 rating and the fact that it is the first horror movie released in Spring 2024, the movie will likely attract younger fans of the genre, cultivating the next generation of horror aficionados.