For the last few years, there have been rumblings about a sequel to The Craft, the 1996 gem about a group of brooding teen witches. But nothing has happened until now. Thank Blumhouse and Columbia Pictures: according to Deadline, the companies are working on a reboot of, not a sequel to, the 90s movie, which will be written and directed by multi-hyphenate Zoe Lister-Jones.
Lister-Jones confirmed the news on Instagram, sharing a headline with the caption: “Dreams. Coming. True.” She made her feature debut in 2017 with the indie Band Aid, which she also starred in, and has also written films like the Greta Gerwig rom-com Lola Versus. Jason Blum and Blumhouse will produce the remake, as will Douglas Wick and Lucy Fishers Red Wagon Entertainment, which was behind the original Craft.
Its unclear whether the new film will incorporate any of the first films stars, like Fairuza Balk or Rachel True . . . or if those actresses would even be up for a repeat appearance. In 2015, Balk hedged her excitement about rumbling reboot reports, saying that she was not opposed to a Craft do-over, but recognized that “remakes-IN GENERAL-tend to be a bad idea.”
[twitter: https://twitter.com/fairuza/status/601156686414512128]
True has also spoken up about the films legacy, revealing in January that she has frequently been excluded from fan conventions and reunions for the 1996 film. (True was the sole black actress in the main cast.)
Robin Tunney, meanwhile, has said she would love to be in a sequel if a great script and director were attached. For years, Leigh Janiak was set to direct a sequel for Sony Pictures, but it never came to fruition. Now, its Lister-Joness turn at bat.
She also arrives to the project a few months after Blum was called out for not hiring enough female directors for Blumhouses horror projects. Blum quickly apologized and promised to remedy that—and it seems like hes already making good on that promise.
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Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:10 Enchanting Movies and TV Shows About Witches
I Married a Witch
This overlooked 1942 gem stars Veronica Lake, she of the perfect side part, as a colonial Salem-era witch who gets burned at the stake, then reawakened hundreds of years later, determined to get revenge on a descendant of the family who tried to kill her. I Married a Witch is more rom-com than horror, a love story with a healthy serving of cauldrons and broomsticks. Its easy to fall under its spell. (On Filmstruck.)Photo: From Everett Collection.
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
If youre of a certain age and looking for a deep-cut nostalgia trip, Hulu has you covered with a Mary Kate and Ashley joint—one thats well worth revisiting if youre both a 90s kid and a fan of Cloris Leachman, who played the evil witch grandmother at the films center. As with most old media, some parts of the film have aged better than others—but the Olsen magic remains eternal. (On Hulu.)Photo: From Everett Collection.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Ah, yes, the classic cautionary tale about what happens when three college students venture into the woods to investigate local legends. Although this might not count as a witch movie in the typical sense, it would feel wrong to leave Blair Witch out of our selections—especially given its terrifying ending, which makes all the run-up worth it. (On Hulu.)Photo: From ©Artisan Entertainment/Everett Collection.
Charmed
One of the many network enchantments cast by Aaron Spelling is Charmed, a San Francisco-set drama about three sisters—originally played by Shannon Doherty, Alyssa Milano, and Holly Marie Combs—whose combined abilities make them the most powerful witches of all time. Before all you kids out there tuck into the CWs woke reboot, take a trip back to 1998 to see where it all began. (On Netflix.)Photo: From ©Viacom/Everett Collection.
Sabrina: The Teenage Witch
Netflix might have its own Sabrina adaptation on the way, but for now, Melissa Joan Hart still reigns supreme. Besides, even with the new Sabrina coming, this one will always have a place in our hearts; did you hear that the cat wont even talk in the new version? (On Hulu.)Photo: ©Viacom/Courtesy Everett Collection
Practical Magic
In this crunchy New England fall leaf of a film, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play a pair of witchy sisters battling against a family curse that dooms any man they fall in love with to an early death. There are perfect autumnal Massachusetts vibes, plus Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as a pair of aunties who love to cackle over midnight margaritas. (On HBOGo.)Photo: From Everett Collection.
Honorable Mentions
If youve found yourself with enough money to pony up for a couple other rentals, here are some of our favorites that, alas, cannot be streamed for free: Kikis Delivery Service, The Craft, Eves Bayou, The Wizard of Oz, Hocus Pocus, and Bell Book and Candle.Photo: Clockwise from right; From Everett Collection, from Everett Collection, from ©Buena Vista/Everett Collection.PreviousNext
I Married a Witch
This overlooked 1942 gem stars Veronica Lake, she of the perfect side part, as a colonial Salem-era witch who gets burned at the stake, then reawakened hundreds of years later, determined to get revenge on a descendant of the family who tried to kill her. I Married a Witch is more rom-com than horror, a love story with a healthy serving of cauldrons and broomsticks. Its easy to fall under its spell. (On Filmstruck.)From Everett Collection.
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
If youre of a certain age and looking for a deep-cut nostalgia trip, Hulu has you covered with a Mary Kate and Ashley joint—one thats well worth revisiting if youre both a 90s kid and a fan of Cloris Leachman, who played the evil witch grandmother at the films center. As with most old media, some parts of the film have aged better than others—but the Olsen magic remains eternal. (On Hulu.)From Everett Collection.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Ah, yes, the classic cautionary tale about what happens when three college students venture into the woods to investigate local legends. Although this might not count as a witch movie in the typical sense, it would feel wrong to leave Blair Witch out of our selections—especially given its terrifying ending, which makes all the run-up worth it. (On Hulu.)From ©Artisan Entertainment/Everett Collection.
Charmed
One of the many network enchantments cast by Aaron Spelling is Charmed, a San Francisco-set drama about three sisters—originally played by Shannon Doherty, Alyssa Milano, and Holly Marie Combs—whose combined abilities make them the most powerful witches of all time. Before all you kids out there tuck into the CWs woke reboot, take a trip back to 1998 to see where it all began. (On Netflix.)From ©Viacom/Everett Collection.
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