Sam Raimi‘s no dummy. He’s set to remake a chilling but forgotten masterpiece of psychological horror: Magic. Joining him in producing a remake of the 1978 ventriloquism thriller is Roy Lee, who produced this summer’s surprise horror hit Weapons. According to reports, Lionsgate is now behind the remake, which will be penned by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon. The duo previously penned Freddy vs. Jason and 2009’s Friday the 13th remake; they’re also writing Send Help, the Raimi-helmed Rachel McAdams survival horror thriller that will hit theaters next year.
Thje remake is spearheaded by producers Chris Hammond and Tim Sullivan, who have championed the project in Hollywood for years, in addition to finding the film’s current rights-holders in order to remake it. The original film starred a pre-Silence of the LambsAnthony Hopkins, and was a resounding financial success, making $23 million USD on a $7 million budget, partially thanks to an unsettling TV ad campaign that heavily featured the “Fats” dummy. It was a critical success, as well: it currently holds an 87% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is ‘Magic’ About?
The film stars Hopkins as Corky, a ventriloquist who’s become successful thanks to his profane dummy, Fats. However, as he gains greater acclaim, he begins to fear that his secret will come out: he has severe mental health issues, and cannot control Fats, who is an expression of his innermost impulses. He flees to his hometown, where he reconnects with his high-school crush (Ann-Margaret), even though she’s married to his old friend Duke (Ed Lauter). Soon. his agent, Greene (Burgess Meredith) comes looking for him, too. Corky isn’t prepared to deal with all this stress…but Fats is. And Fats will do anything to make sure Corky’s secrets stay that way… The film was directed by Richard Attenborough (Gandhi), and was based on a novel of the same name by William Goldman (The Princess Bride), who also wrote the screenplay. The film was a financial and critical hit, partially thanks to an unsettling TV ad campaign that heavily featured the “Fats” dummy.
With their uncanny human-like appearance, ventriloquist dummies have often been the source material for horror. One of the earliest examples occurs in the 1945 British anthology horror movie Dead of Night, in which Michael Redgrave struggles for control with his dummy Hugo. Subsequent entries in the genre include 1964’s Devil Doll; 1974’s Shanks, with famed mime Marcel Marceau; and Dead Silence, a 2007 film from Saw duo James Wan and Leigh Whannell.
A remake of 1978’s Magic is in development; no release date has yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
