Unexpected ’70s Horror Movie Remake in the Works

A horror legend is teaming up with one of the genre’s hottest new producers to remake a forgotten 70s cult classic.

Magic, the 1978 horror film starring Anthony Hopkins as a mentally unstable ventriloquist, has a remake in the works from producers Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) and Roy Lee (Weapons). The original film was directed by Richard Attenborough—yes, THAT Richard Attenborough—and was written by William Goldman, based on his own novel.

The remake will be written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, who previously wrote Freddy vs. Jason and the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th. No director is attached to the film yet, so here’s hoping Raimi takes on the job himself.

The original film revolves around Hopkins’ ventriloquist Corky, a magician who becomes super famous thanks to his dummy Fats. Over time, Fats begins “taking over” his human host to murderous results.

While not much else about the movie is known, it’s hard to argue with the two big names attached. Raimi is a legend in the horror genre, famous for creating the Evil Dead franchise along with horror cult classic like Drag Me to Hell, while Lee recently brought the summer’s biggest horror smash hit Weapons to the big screen. Weapons, directed by Zach Cregger, brought in over $230 million worldwide on a $40 million budget.