Witch perfect! Sony execs are hoping that “now is the time, this is the hour” for a reboot of the 1996 supernatural thriller The Craft, about four wannabe teen witches at a Catholic prep school.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has tapped up-and-comer Leigh Janiak to direct and co-write a remake of the movie with Phil Graziadei, with whom she worked on her directorial debut Honeymoon. Doug Wick, one of the producers on the original, will produce the new version as well, along with Lucy Fisher.
The Craft has become something of a cult classic since its release 19 years ago. Directed by Andrew Fleming, the film starred Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Rachel True, and Neve Campbell, among others.
Together, the four girls formed their own coven of sorts, using witchcraft to enact vengeance on their bullies (including Christine Taylor) and cast love spells on their crushes — often with disastrous, sometimes tragic results.
Campbell, now 41, spoke about the film in an interview with The Daily Beast just last year, recalling how “young and silly” they all were while shooting.
“I’m still really good friends with Rachel True and Robin Tunney,” she said, noting that she’d “lost touch” with Balk. “They actually did a screening of [The Craft] at the L.A. Cemetery, and there were 5,000 people there, all sitting on blankets…It really ended up with a cult following, which is fun.”
