The Craft has bewitched Sony execs for a second time.
The studio is remaking the 1996 supernatural teen thriller, tapping up-and-coming horror filmmaker Leigh Janiak to write and direct the new version. Janiak will co-write the script with Phil Graziadei, the co-scribe on her breakthrough movie Honeymoon.
Doug Wick, who was The Craft's original producers, is back in the same capacity, this time producing with Lucy Fisher. Fisher was vice chairman of Columbia when the first movie was made.
The original starred Robin Tunney, who arrives at a Catholic school and befriends a trio of wannabe witches, played by Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True. The trio turn out to be amateur practioners and welcome Tunney's character, a natural, into their fold. When they use their magic to fix personal issues, they discover that dark forces aren't something to trifle with.
Andrew Fleming co-wrote and directed the movie.
The news of a female director coming on board to direct a female-centric feature project is welcome news to Hollywood, as it breaks after the studios have come under fire from the American Civil Liberties Union for "systemic failure to hire women directors at all levels of the film and television industry.” Janiak's hiring was already weeks in the works; the filmmaker impressed execs with her take on a female empowerment tale.
Janiek was an assistant to producer Kevin Misher when she decided to change course to focus on her passion, filmmaking. She impressed many last year with her debut, the creepy horror film Honeymoon, which premiered at SXSW and was promptly picked up by Magnolia Pictures. The movie starred Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) and Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful) as a young couple whose lakeside getaway goes to hell. She directed the movie and co-wrote it with Graziadei.
Janiek, who is repped by Verve, is also directing an upcoming episode of MTV's adaptation of Scream.
Cult Horror Movie 'The Craft' to Get Remake by Sony (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter
