Buddy is a 2026 American horror thriller film directed by Casper Kelly from a screenplay by Kelly and Jamie King, and stars Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt.
In 1999, a group of amnesiac children live in the 22-minute episodic world of It's Buddy!, a once-popular children's television show hosted by the tyrannical Buddy, a bright orange, humanoid unicorn with a purple heart on his chest who lives in his wacky clubhouse. When the children begin to defy their captor after Josh disappearing, Buddy grinds his teeth and sends them on a perilous journey to the mythical Diamond City. Meanwhile, a traumatized suburban mother named Grace is drawn into Buddy's nightmare.
On July 22, 2025, it was announced that Cristin Milioti would star in the independent film Buddy, which will be directed by Casper Kelly, who wrote the screenplay with Jamie King. J. D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules will produce the film under their BoulderLight Pictures banner while Tyler Davidson and Drew Sykes produce for Low Spark Films, which co-finances the film. Tracy Rosenblum and Roberto Linck will executive produce as Sipur Studios and Substance produce. Principal photography began on the week of July 22, 2025. Later that month, Topher Grace joined the cast. In August 2025, Delaney Quinn was cast in a lead role. In December 2025, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt were revealed to have joined the film.
Buddy premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah on January 22, 2026.