For alternative kids of a certain age, 1996’s The Craft was more than a touchstone horror movie; it was an aspirational tale of independence. Maybe even more than the original’s director Andrew Fleming and writer Peter Filardi fully realized, a movie about four female friends using their witching powers to rise above (or is that levitate over?) the rigors of high school life and literally walk on water was intoxicating to Gen-Xers and older millennials who liked to paint it black. It appears that the quite on-the-nose legacy sequel of The Craft: Legacy is picking up on those witchy vibes of empowerment too.
Originally titled The Craft, the renamed The Craft: Legacy does everything a legacy sequel is supposed to: It remakes the original film from a modern perspective while reverently existing in the pre-established universe of the original movie(s). Thus enters Hannah (Cailee Spaeny), the new girl in school whose non-conforming appearance is making her the victim of bullying by some. But to others, she shows potential.
Soon Hannah is being recruited by three other girls (Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna) who have a book of spells that’s called “The Craft.” It warns of the danger of needing to bind witches who become a threat to themselves or others, and it apparently includes a photo of Fairuza Balk, who played bad witch Nancy Downs in the original movie. Thus the trailer acknowledges we are existing in the same universe, and that this tale might go a little differently.
Indeed, with the film being written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones, The Craft: Legacy promises to bring a new perspective on this archetypal story with perhaps a greater emphasis on the complexities of female friendships than the original, which devolved into a rivalry where one witch tries to steal (and kill) the other’s crush.
The Craft: Legacy is filled with evocative images like glowing pools of water, and a welcome cast of character actors as the parents, including Michelle Monaghan and David Duchovny.
With its trailer and new title announcement, it was also revealed The Craft: Legacy is premiering on VOD soon with a release slated for Oct. 28, 2020. Obviously being just in time for Halloween will be welcome news for many. And the key emphasis on the word “Blumhouse” in the trailer suggests the mostly horror-focused production company has fully established its brand and can likely market it well for those looking for late night rentals—during the witching hour.
