The Craft remake finds its director in Zoe Lister-Jones

The remake of Andrew Fleming’s cult classic The Craft has found its director in Zoe Lister-Jones. Let’s discuss if this is a good or bad idea.

The reboot and remake movements aren’t showing signs of stopping any time soon. In fact, they are getting stronger by the minute, with every studio coming up with at least one of these, and sadly, the horror genre is becoming quite popular with this trend. The latest title getting the remake treatment is The Craft.

Arguably, there are many horror movies that should have a sort of “untouchable” status, but cash is king so nothing is sacred in the filmmaking world. That being said, Blumhouse and Columbia Pictures have given the green-light to The Craft remake and already have a director on board.

Zoe Lister-Jones is the chosen one to bring this remake to life, as well as co-writing the script with Daniel Casey. For those who are not familiar with The Craft (or don’t remember what it is about), it follows Sarah (Robin Tunney), the new girl in town who befriends a group of outcast girls who practice witchcraft and are looking for a fourth member to complete their coven. Starring alongside Tunney were Neve Campbell, Rachel True, and Fairuza Balk.

The movie came out in 1996 and still keeps an air of freshness, in big part because it doesn’t rely on clichés and explores social issues such as race, class, self-harm, and others. Now, is a remake actually necessary? As with 90% of remakes, no. It isn’t. It’s a well-written story, with an even better performance from its cast. There’s nothing about it that needs the remake treatment.

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However, given the present social context, especially in the film industry, a remake could not be as bad as many of us feel, especially with a woman in charge directing. Although the original film was written and directed by men, it’s not a problematic story as many others in the genre. That being said, bringing a female perspective is always welcomed.

Besides, Lister-Jones comes from the indie side of the industry, so it’s going to be interesting to see the style she will bring to The Craft both as writer and director. On another note, it’s important to point out that, while many outlets report the project as a “reboot” or even a “sequel”, the listing has it as a “remake”. Oh, and the names of the characters have changed: Sarah is now Hannah, and the girls (Bonnie, Rochelle, and Nancy), are now Tabby, Lourdes, and Frankie.

The Craft remake is by no means necessary. But if we want more female writers, directors, and producers in the industry and especially in the horror genre, this project is a step in that direction – and in that case, I’m all for it. Just one thing: please don’t take away the essence of the story. Don’t bring clichés to the mix and don’t be scared to address social issues. That’s all I ask.

The Craft will reportedly start shooting in July, so it won’t be long until we get details on the cast and a tentative release date.

How do you feel about The Craft being remade? Let us know in the comments.