Witchboard
Summary
A remake of the 1986 horror classicWitchboardfollows engaged couple Emily and Christian.
However, Babtiste has his own secrets, which will put Emily’s very soul in even more danger.
He revealed what compelled him to remake the classic horror movie and the secret to revisiting a known IP.
Russell also shared insight into the casting process and a few movies he believes should never be remade.
Chuck Russell Talks Witchboard
Screen Rant: We are here to talk aboutWitchboard.
It was a classic film, and now we’re bringing it back.
Why do you thinkWitchboardneeded a remake?
Chuck Russell: For the same reason I feltThe Blob needed a remake.
Strictly, I felt I could explode that film, reimagine The Blob at the time.
Same thing occurred to me with Witchboard.
For those that may not be familiar, what isWitchboard?
Chuck Russell: The classic was really the original Ouija films.
And done a bit on a shoestring budget, but done very well.
That’s how many people remember it.
We’ve done something that’s quite a bit edgier.
We were very fortunate, and Jamie Campbell Bower from Stranger Things was available and plays a key role.
And it was amazing working with him and Madison Iseman and Aaron Dominguez.
We have a great young cast, and I’m really excited about the film.
You’re not only directing; you’re also writing this movie.
I often polish a script.
You know what you want more, of course, if you’ve written it.
And I tend to know my shots better going [inaudible 00:02:25].
I’ve imagined them enough, in writing and rewriting and budgeting.
So it’s a real pleasure.
you might’t overwork your own imagination.
It’s like having an amazing chemistry set.
Get off yourself with your lines and see what the actors bring to it.
We are in a renaissance in Hollywood with a lot of remakes.
What’s the key to making a great remake?
Chuck Russell: I don’t look at remakes in general.
For me personally, it’s so specific.
I knew what I wanted to do with Witchboard.
Great elements for a horror film.
How do you balance and stay true to the original while making this completely your own withWitchboard?
Chuck Russell: We stayed true to the vibe of the original.
Kevin Tenney, who wrote the original, is our source.
But I really wanted to cut loose and give something to the fans that they’ve never seen before.
And I’ll let you guys judge if we pulled it off.
What are you most excited forWitchboardfans to explore with this new film?
Chuck Russell: Story, character, and of course the scares.
They’re all about the scares.
We do give them my own version of the famous shower scene.
What’s your philosophy behind crafting a good scare?
Chuck Russell: The same thing as getting a good laugh in a comedy.
Horror and comedy are very similar, surprisingly.
It’s all about tension and payoff.
It’s set-ups and payoff.
So there’s a very certain timing.
Chuck Russell: Yeah, of course.
She was my anchor to the drama thread in this film.
And she’s just a super pro.
And she has one of the best cinema screams I’ve ever heard in my life.
And Jamie Campbell Bower was the inspiration.
Do you plan on expanding the franchise, following suit with its predecessor?
Chuck Russell: It would be a fun game to play it out, for sure.
We definitely set it up…
In our film, The Witchboard, there was only one.
It’s a little bit like the way I played the Mask in The Mask.
It’s an ancient artifact.
It’s a pendulum board.
Actually, pendulum board’s predated Ouija boards.
The Pope in the 1700s outlawed pendulum boards.
So this is where it all came from originally.
And visually, a pendulum board is a whole wonderful unit for us in cinema.
It’s-
Chuck Russell: There is nothing like New Orleans.
It has that legacy.
I don’t know what it is, but it’s a magical place.
We were inspired by New Orleans.
I’m still going back to shoot a little more in New Orleans.
And we shot some buildings that were from the 1700s in old Montreal.
So it’s going to have a special flavor to it between the two cities.
I don’t know why people remake great films.
Chuck Russell: Oh…
If you want me to reach back to the classics, why would you touch films like that?
I think Hollywood has no shame when they do those things.
This is a truly independent film.
Talk to me about Emily and Christian’s relationship inWitchboardand the lengths they will go to for each other.
Chuck Russell: I’m going to take a stab at do that without giving too many spoilers.
But it’s a great love relationship, which I like at the center of my films.
They’re ready to get married.
Emily has a background history with drugs.
And I, using drugs as a metaphor, I think the occult is also a kind of drug.
Even an astrologist, when they’re right, suddenly becomes addictive.
That’s like a gateway drug in the occult.
So if you get a prediction that comes true, you become more and more curious.
And I’m telling you, and I’m telling our audience, we’re not promoting the occult.
It’s a dangerous world, even at the gaming level of Ouija boards and things like that.
We are in a spiritual world.
We’re in a battle between good and evil in all of our lives in different ways.
Go for the good people.
When can fans expect to seeWitchboard?
Chuck Russell: Coming up in 2024.
We’re trying to figure out exactly when it will be released.
But Babiaste has secrets of his own, including his connection to a modern-day coven of witches.
A dangerous game begins as each swing of the pendulum puts Emilys very soul at risk.
Witchboardis expected to release in 2024.
