The Director Of Wild New R-Rated Horror Movie Is Taking Down Everyone’s Favorite Childhood Hero

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Casper Kelly is making his feature film directorial debut with Buddy, a movie inspired by the strange and colorful world of children’s TV. He first gained recognition for his work with Adult Swim, where he co-created the comedy series Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell and the popular short Too Many Cooks. Kelly also has experience with anthology films, having directed segments for Mandy (starring Nicolas Cage) and V/H/S/Halloween.

Written by Kelly and Jamie King, who also worked on Jessica Jones, Buddy takes place within a children’s TV show. The show centers around a group of kids who have magical adventures with Buddy, a toy unicorn that comes to life when someone says his name. But when a curious boy named Freddy starts to suspect something is wrong with their world—and even with Buddy himself—he and his friends uncover a disturbing secret about the show.

Kelly has gathered a fantastic cast for Buddy, featuring Emmy Award-winner Keegan-Michael Key as the voice of the villain. Delaney Quinn from The Roses, Cristin Milioti of The Penguin, Topher Grace known from The Waterfront, along with Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, and Bennie Taylor, are also starring in the film. Buddy is slated to premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as part of its Midnight selections.

To celebrate its premiere at Sundance, ScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns spoke with Casper Kelly about his movie, Buddy. Kelly shared that the idea for the R-rated horror-comedy came from his childhood, when he used to watch TV shows and imagine the characters actually living in those worlds.

Chuckling about how he tended to overthink things, he started wondering about practical issues like what would happen if a child actor didn’t feel like following the planned storyline that day. He even questioned whether anyone on set ever got any sleep or even had time to use the restroom.

It starts off seeming really great, but then I start thinking too much about it. I’d get stuck wondering things like, ‘Is this actually a trap?’ or ‘Are people being manipulated?’ [Laughs] That’s where the idea originally came from.

Given that Kelly’s previous work, a V/H/S/Halloween segment, also featured a funny and scary story about a living, murderous candy creature, it’s natural to ask how similar these two projects are. According to the director, the idea for Buddy came first, and Kelly and King spent two years writing the script and collaborating with BoulderLight Pictures, receiving feedback to improve it.

He remembered questioning whether the project would ever actually happen, as things often take a long time to come together. Then, they received the news that funding had been secured. They began working with Low Spark Films and BoulderLight to create the film, Buddy. When he traveled to Cleveland to scout locations and was treated to dinner by Low Spark Films, he started to believe it was really happening. They even used a credit card named WorryWell Productions – a nod to a character in the movie – to cover expenses.

As Kelly began working on Buddy, he was also asked to create a segment for V/H/S/Halloween, meaning the two projects overlapped. He worried about the extremely short timeframe, and his manager tried to reassure him that one of the projects would likely be cancelled.

It was crazy, I went straight from filming one project to another, barely had time to catch my breath – I was literally flying between sets! Thankfully, neither deal fell apart, which was a huge relief because I really wanted to make both happen. Actually, I just got a ‘Certified Fresh’ trophy from Rotten Tomatoes for ‘V/H/S/Halloween,’ and I’d show it off if it wasn’t downstairs right now!

The movie’s villain, a unicorn, is often linked to the children’s character Barney as a source of inspiration for the character of Buddy. However, director Kelly explains he drew from many different sources when creating the film’s fantastical TV world. He describes himself as someone who likes to include as many details as possible, and besides Barney, he also added references to shows like Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The Wizard of Oz, and Howdy Doody. He even found some inspiration in Dora the Explorer, having watched a lot of it with his own children.

Buddy’s World-Building & Potential Sequel Setup Was “Fascinating” For Kelly To Explore

I really wanted to discuss the film’s sets – I loved how much was actually built practically. The living backpack and couch were amazing and felt so real. Can you talk about collaborating with the production designers to create that authentic, classic kids’ TV show feel, while still maintaining a surreal atmosphere?

Anna Kathleen was the production designer, and she did an amazing job – she even thought through details like the designs on the patches of the mailman’s uniform. I actually need to get one of those patches, and the props in general, which are currently in storage. I’ve always loved film sets, both indoor and outdoor, because they have a special, almost magical quality, like in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ or the musical ‘Oklahoma’ with its iconic wheat field. ‘Night of the Hunter’ is another example. I’ve also worked with puppets on projects like ‘Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell,’ as well as ‘Cheddar Goblin’ in ‘Mandy,’ ‘FriendsOfSmarf,’ and ‘Too Many Cooks.’

I never really considered myself someone who loved puppets, but I definitely do now. We collaborated with Devon Hawkes Ludlow, Cedwan Hooks, and many others to create them, and I learned so much in the process. The puppets were radio-controlled, allowing the voice actor to operate the mouth movements separately from a puppeteer controlling the hands – it was amazing to watch. There was an intern who was eager to create her first puppet, and she was given The Bluebird, a smaller character in the film, and she did a fantastic job. It’s just wonderful to create things by hand. Chris Brown, a friend from Atlanta who designed Smarf, joined us in Cleveland and crafted Couchy, Clocky, and the flowers. They all look incredible and have such unique personalities. There’s something special about making things by hand and having that real, tangible quality.

ScreenRant asked about Keegan-Michael Key’s performance as Buddy, noting how great he was. They wondered how much of his work was done in person on set, and how much was recorded later as ADR (additional dialogue replacement). They explained that sometimes, for characters like Buddy, a script supervisor will read the lines on set instead of the actor themselves.

That’s a good point. We initially had the puppeteers perform the lines, and they did a really emotional take on it. Then, Keegan-Michael Key came in and recorded his parts in person, and he was fantastic – so fun to work with and we had great chemistry. It’s interesting, Grant, because you’d think the pre-animated mouth movements would be restrictive. While we couldn’t do long, improvisational bits like Judd Apatow would, Keegan added so much emotional depth – little touches of sarcasm and attitude – that it really brought the character to life. He did a phenomenal job.

ScreenRant asked about the challenge of directing Keegan-Michael Key, specifically how they balanced portraying him as intimidating without losing the audience’s sympathy. They wanted to know how the writers and director worked to ensure he came across as a misunderstood character rather than a complete villain.

That’s a really thoughtful question about what the movie is trying to say. I can actually sympathize with that character a little, even though I shouldn’t, and I definitely haven’t done anything similar myself! I think a lot of people can relate to trying to appear a certain way and then messing up, and making things worse when they try to fix it. I’m not saying I’ve been there, but it feels understandable. Still, let’s be clear, he’s a flawed person, so don’t feel too bad for him. [Laughs]

ScreenRant asked about the decision to cast Cristin, explaining that much of Freddy’s story, powerfully portrayed by Delaney, relies on Cristin as a crucial emotional connection within the show’s strange and unreal setting.

It was really exciting when she showed interest in the project. She’s mentioned she doesn’t usually love horror, but this film felt different – it had depth, heart, and real emotional resonance, which she connected with. I think horror is evolving into a really creative outlet for filmmakers, allowing for all sorts of storytelling. It’s a great time for the genre, with films like ‘Sinners’ and ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ pushing boundaries. You can work with original ideas or established properties. Cristin Milioti is just fantastic and a pleasure to work with. Choosing the final shots with her was surprisingly difficult, because each take offered something unique and interesting. I’ve even thought about creating a special feature for the Blu-ray where we re-edit the entire movie using only alternate takes – forcing ourselves to avoid using any of the original choices. It would be fascinating to see how that changes the overall feel.

I noticed a mural with hints of other characters similar to Buddy, and I was wondering if that was a deliberate Easter egg suggesting potential future storylines?

I find it really interesting to think about history as something incomplete – like there are parts we don’t fully understand, or that different people know different pieces. I especially enjoy the creative aspect of imagining those unknown parts and building a world around them. It’s just fascinating, and I really love that feeling, like looking at a beautiful mural.

So, as a final question, I’m curious to hear what it feels like to premiere your movie at Sundance. It’s a huge opportunity, particularly for a first-time filmmaker with such a unique and groundbreaking film.

I’m incredibly excited! It’s definitely a little nerve-wracking, but I’m trying to just soak it all in. There’s nothing I can do to change things now, so I’m focusing on enjoying the experience. This is the final Sundance Film Festival in Park City, and the first one without Robert Redford, which makes it extra special. I’m amazed I even get to be here, and I’m a big fan of so many other people attending. It’s truly thrilling.

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2026-01-24 00:03