Lionsgate is reportedly working on a remake of the cult horror classic Magic, with some master horror filmmakers on board. Magic is a 1978 film starring Anthony Hopkins and Ann-Margret, following a ventriloquist tormented by his dummy prop as he tries to reconnect with his high school sweetheart.

Magic was well-reviewed, currently sitting with an 87% Fresh rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. At the time, film critic Gene Siskel rated the film 4 out of 4 and dubbed it one of his favorite movies of that year. The movie has never been rebooted.

Per Lionsgate, Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ creator Sam Raimi and Weapons producer Roy Lee are both serving as producers on the remake of Magic. The new movie is being written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon.

What This Means For Magic

This latest announcement about Magic suggests the film may finally take off. Although the news was not widely circulated, Roy Lee stated in 2022 on the Post Mortem with Mick Garris podcast that Raimi was set to direct a new take on the horror classic. Obviously, that didn’t become a Sam Raimi movie at the time.

Although writers have been revealed for Magic, interestingly, no director is yet attached. It’s still possible that Raimi is set to helm the film, but time will tell. Either way, a story that Lee and Raimi are clearly fans of will seemingly find its way in front of new audiences.

Our Take On The Magic Reboot

The original Magic had such a high caliber of creatives behind it that it’s somewhat surprising to see it only now being rebooted. Not only did the film star a horror legend in the making in Anthony Hopkins, but it was directed by Richard Attenborough, known by a generation as Jurᴀssic Park’s John Hammond.

Evil puppets and dolls have only grown in popularity since 1978 (see: Annabelle, Child’s Play, M3GAN) and Magic appears to be a fantastic opportunity to capitalize on that continued audience interest in a unique way.

With Sam Raimi, a filmmaker with such a distinct style, involved, the movie also has a good chance to blend horror with just enough lightness to keep audiences on their toes throughout its runtime.

It will be especially interesting to see if Anthony Hopkins and/or Ann-Margret return to the world of Magic in any capacity, even if just as a cameo or a figment of the ventriloquist’s imagination.