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Casper Kelly’s horror satire “Buddy” hits theaters August 28

8/28/2026

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Summary

Casper Kelly Releases

Casper Kelly releases the horror satire film Buddy in theaters on August 28.
Cristin Milioti stars in Buddy, delivering layered, unsettling performances.
Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy, the orange unicorn who guides and threatens trapped children.
Delaney Quinn plays the lead girl, selected for her horror enthusiasm.
Kelly says Buddy’s open ending leaves mysteries for a possible sequel.

Summary

Production Team Builds

Production designer Anna Kathleen built the suburban house and Buddy’s sound-stage world with lived-in details.
Cinematographer Zach Kuperstein used shifting aspect ratios to separate TV scenes from real-world footage.
Puppet designer Devon Hawkes Ludlow created animatronic props, including a mailbox with eyebrows and a talking couch.
Performer Sergey Zhuravsky endured the hot Buddy suit, expressing emotion via head tilts and arm raises.

History

Historical Context

Jim Henson’s 1979 film The Dark Crystal proved that complex animatronic puppetry could anchor a feature, paving the way for high-budget genre projects. Netflix built on that legacy when it launched its first German-language original, Dark, on 1 December 2017, a three-season, effects-rich series that exemplifies the streaming era’s global, production-intensive trend.

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Casper Kelly Releases

Casper Kelly releases the horror satire film Buddy in theaters on August 28.
Cristin Milioti stars in Buddy, delivering layered, unsettling performances.
Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy, the orange unicorn who guides and threatens trapped children.
Delaney Quinn plays the lead girl, selected for her horror enthusiasm.
Kelly says Buddy’s open ending leaves mysteries for a possible sequel.

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