Arguably, horror movies are one of the best movie genres. Although horror films are terrifying, and some are even gross, these movies top the box office most of the time. 

Most horror movies make you consider death and make you worry about your life. Nonetheless, for many of us, watching them is a blast — the ideal way to spend your time. 

The horror genre has given birth to many successful franchises. The Conjuring Universe, Friday the 13th, Scream, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street are notable horror movie franchises. 

However, the one franchise that promises to scare you is Child's Play. The films mostly follow Chucky, a legendary serial murderer who regularly avoids death by executing a voodoo ceremony in which his soul is transferred into a 'Good Guys' doll.

To date, eight movies, a TV show, comic books, video games, and tie-in items have all resulted from the film. The upcoming TV series named Chucky is a follow-up to Cult of Chucky, the franchise's seventh installment.

It will air on Syfy and USA Network on October 12, 2021. Ever since the news of this TV show surfaced, there is one prominent question asked — is Chucky based on a true story? 

Well, it is not precisely based on a true story but is inspired by a real-life haunted doll. 

True Story Behind Chucky the Doll

What can be worse than a beloved children's doll following you with a knife, dedicated to killing you? Short answer - a real-life possessed doll who is hell-bent on hurting you. 

The answer to this nightmare is Robert the Doll, and his story is a thousand times more terrifying than Child's Play's Chucky. But, unfortunately, there are two 'true' tales of Robert the Doll, and nobody knows which one is true. 

Regardless of all the myths, it involves a young boy named Robert Otto, aka Gene. One of the most prevalent tales is that a dissatisfied servant gave the doll to Gene in the early 1900s. 

However, the actual story is believed to be when Gene's grandparents gave him the doll after coming back from Germany. But this does not make the story less creepy. 

Robert the Doll is one of a kind. It was produced by the German Steiff Company and is 40 inches tall. It is stuffed with excelsior, a type of wood wool, and is clothed in a sailor costume with painted features.

His unique stature suggests he was created in the likeness of his owner, Gene. The doll was called Robert after Gene decided to name it after himself. Unfortunately, Gene was too attached to the doll, and things took a creepy turn. 

If anything was out of the ordinary in the Otto household, Gene blamed the doll. Many supernatural occurrences were occurring in their house as well. 

Unfamiliar voices and giggling coming from Gene's bedroom, someone running at night, and Gene blaming everything on Robert took a toll on his family. In addition, many employees were forced to quit because of inexplicable happenings.

The Otto family struggled as word of the "haunted" doll spread, and people were too afraid to come to their house. Despite this, Gene was adamant about keeping his friend, so the doll stayed in the house.

Gene inherited the house after his parents died, and he even gave Robert his room. The doll was hidden up in a trunk and placed in the attic after Gene died in 1974.

In 1974, a woman named Myrtle Reuter bought the Otto house. When she moved to Von Phister Street six years later, she became Robert's companion and maintained him.

Robert was presented to the Martello Gallery-Key West Art and Historical Museum in 1994 after she claimed he was haunted and moved around her house on his own. Robert the Doll is presently on exhibit behind a layer of safety glass in the museum.

He's a well-known figure who has drawn tourists from all around the world. Visitors to the museum frequently tell scary stories of Robert haunting them, and the mystique lives on even after a century.