A late 70’s horror classic,Magic, is getting a brand new remake from Sam Raimi. The project, which is currently in development with several possible scripts, is the latest endeavour from both Raimi (Spider-Man,The Evil Dead) and producer Roy Lee (It,Quarantine,The Strangers).
The original film debuted in 1978 and told the story of a disturbed ventriloquist, Corky,played by a young Anthony Hopkins, who becomes entangled in the strange triangle between his lover, Peggy (Ann Margaret), and his dummy, Fats. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and based on a novel by William Goldman, who helped write the script. The movie did well at the box office, grossing $24 million compared to its $7 million budget, in large part because of a creepy trailer that both enticed horror lovers into theaters and terrified children.
RELATED:The Brilliance of Sam Raimi’s Marvel New York City
Roy Lee recently dropped that he was collaborating with Raimi during thePost-Mortem with Mick Garrispodcast. “I’ve only worked with [Sam Raimi] as a producer on films… actually… the first time I’m gonna work with him as a director is on a remake ofMagic.Which is something that we’re working on now. The Anthony Hopkins movie," Lee revealed. “We’re just actually hearing the final versions of the different takes from writers next week.” While details are not available on the chosen script or casting, the partnership bodes well for a film with a rather quirky, yet horrific, storyline.
Hopkins, whose performance here no doubt set him onthe path to Hannibal Lecter, has been praised for this early performance as the unstable Corky. He stars as a man trying to hide his mental distress from his performances, where the growing presence of his alter ego, Fats, makes the two figures one and the same. Lee is responsible for having had something of a hand in much of the great horror releases of the past two decades, including the recent acclaimed successesBarbarianand Don’t Worry Darling. With him and Raimi, who knows how to mix strangeness and humor in innovative ways,Magic’s revival will no doubt be both chilling and entertaining for both older fans of the original and new audiences.
While the original film and novel arerooted more in psychological horrorthan anything supernatural, all bets are off for this Lee and Raimi collaboration. One thing that is almost certain, though, is that it’s likely to expand the more sinister and evil overtones that pervade the original.
MORE:The Uncanny Valley and Its Role in Sci-Fi Horror
