The 2 Most Highly-Anticipated Witch-Centric Movie Remakes Coming Soon
Love a good witch movie? A little bit of magic, a couple of spells, a broomstick or two, and a cauldron always make for a fun and fantastical adventure. Whether about good witches or bad witches, the spellcasters with immense power always have a way of captivating film audiences. Thus, it should come as no surprise that two cult and campy classics based on witches are being remade for modern viewing audiences. From The Witches to Hocus Pocus 2 (see why this movie will feel more like a remake than a sequel below), these reboots are ready to put a spell on you.
All about ‘The Witches’ remake
1990’s original The Witches was a fantasy/family film starring Anjelica Huston as the head witch in charge, or as they called her in the movie: The Grand High Witch. When a convention of witches meet to carry out their diabolical plan — of turning all children into mice — a grandmother (Helga) and grandson (Luke) duo must team up to take the witches down once and for all. Yet, Luke is caught spying on the witches, which is how he discovers their plan. And, he must work with his grandma as a talking mouse — sometimes presenting strategic advantages!
The movie is quite dark, and Huston delivers a juicy and wicked performance — one than Anne Hathaway will be tasked with living up to. The Witches remake is currently in post-production and was initially slated to hit theaters sometime in 2020, yet the future of cinematic releases remains largely unknown at the moment. Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away) will direct. Anna Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Chris Rock, and more are set to star.
Here’s to hoping that original pays homage to the source material — retaining the film’s rather dark and mature moments, despite its intended family-friendly demographic. The original’s combination of darkness, humor, and utter ridiculousness is what won over viewers. Yet, the movie will also need a little dose of contemporary style to suit a modern viewing audience.
What we know so far about ‘Hocus Pocus 2’
The original Hocus Pocus — telling the story of three sister witches resurrected from the dead — debuted to critical condemnation. Yet, over the years, it became a cult classic, with multiple Halloweens working to solidify its place in our culture via ABC Family. The three witches trying to suck the youth from children: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. Their chemistry was indisputable, their energy was contagious, and Bette Midler (as always) was a hoot!
Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Rock of Ages) is set to direct the film for Disney+, and the original cast is reportedly interested in returning! Here’s to hoping all three sisters pick up their brooms once more for Hocus Pocus 2.
Though this movie is more of a sequel, after so many years since the original, it will function as a remake via contemporary cinematography, and likely a narrative that doesn’t exactly follow the former’s conclusion (as such would be a little implausible and lazy). Given Adam Shankman’s familiarity with movie musicals, he may just give the Divine Miss M a few shots to sing a spell over the audience as well.
