An accomplished filmmaker, directing massive films like 1994’s The Mask starring Jim Carrey, 1996’s Eraser with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and 2002’s The Scorpion King with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, at this point in Chuck Russell’s career, he can do anything… and he has decided to return to Horror.
A long-pondered decision, some may recall Russell’s early successes, which included the revitalization of the A Nightmare on Elm Street series with 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. A film that extended the franchise, Dream Warriors would also become the most adored sequel of them all. Quite impressive, Russell answered the call again in 1988, writing and directing a fresh take on the 1958 film The Blob. Two classic pieces of Horror cinema, in his return to genre, he takes on another challenge with his reenvisioned take on Kevin Tenney’s 1986 debut film, Witchboard.
Something Russell handled with care, he opted to expand on the concept of witchcraft in his new film, creating something entirely different. Set for release in theaters everywhere on August 15, 2025, Chuck Russell eagerly sat down to discuss the ideas behind Witchboard, his decision to come back into Horror films, plus more.
Cryptic Rock – Last we spoke in 2022, you mentioned how you were going to dive back into the Horror genre.
Chuck Russell – I wasn’t lying. I’m serious about it. Here it is!
Cryptic Rock – It is exciting to see. You have worked in various genres through the decades. What led you back to Horror at this point?
Chuck Russell – I always intended to come back to Horror. I had adventures in Comedy with The Mask (1994), in Action films with Schwarzenegger and Dwayne Johnson, such as Eraser (1996) and The Scorpion King (2002), and even Thrillers that I produced, including Collateral (2004), starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. I continued to write and develop films all this time. And finally, when my friend Greg McKay came to me with the Witchboard property, I realized, “Well, wait a minute, this could be the third in a series of my reinventions of Classic Horror.”
I wouldn’t do a remake. I wouldn’t do Witchboard if I didn’t have a big idea to bring something new to contemporary audiences. I definitely did with this picture. Greg loved the direction I took it in, and we became partners, moving ahead with the project. I waited this long because I wanted to top myself in the genre.
I loved my first two films, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and The Blob (1988). So, I wanted to do something where I felt I could do things I’d never seen before in Horror that were a step up, even for me.
Cryptic Rock – This is a fascinating new take on Witchboard. Obviously, fans recognize the original film from Kevin Tenney. What inspired your direction with the material?
Chuck Russell – That is an interesting question. I originally said no to this. One of the reasons I consider it part of Pop culture is that what Kevin did was sort of start this sub-genre of Ouija board movies. Then Blumhouse continued. There were originally three Witchboard movies. I had one of these synchronicity moments, because I’d been developing a Horror film about pendulum boards.
I’m fascinated with magical objects. The Mask was what Hitchcock referred to as a MacGuffin film, where the prop initiates the action. Similar to The Mask, there is one pendulum board in this story that’s empowered and stolen from a museum. And we go back into why and how and how this thing works. The reality of pendulum boards, historically, is that they go back centuries. They’re a very powerful divination tool. They’re used for spellcasting. They’re used for predicting the future. They’re even used to manifest fate.
What ultimately happened was, in reality, the French pope outlawed them in the 1700s, and they were burning women at the stake for having them. So, they disappeared. A lot of our audience is not even aware of what a pendulum board is. I felt it was a why hadn’t this device been used in Horror and Fantasy? It’s an amazing, real thing. Then I realized why not use a pendulum board, the whole history of witches, and really do everything I ever wanted to do in the genre and witchboard.
That’s what I finally said, “Okay, now I know what to do. Let’s get this picture started.” Then I wrote my own draft for the screenplay.
Cryptic Rock – Very interesting. Well, your Witchboard film is done well and moves at a steady pace. You might call it a remake, but it is a different story.
Chuck Russell – I wanted to do what I’d done in The Blob and even on A Nightmare on Elm Street 3. New Line Cinema was not going to make any more Elm Street films, but I convinced them that we have a new direction we can take Elm Street 3. With The Blob, again, I was reimagining it without doing some kind of you know, slavish remake.
I wouldn’t do this unless I felt I had something different to bring to the genre.
Cryptic Rock – Yes, your Witchboard is not regurgitation.
Chuck Russell – Thank you. As I was saying, I wouldn’t touch it in the same way I reimagined The Blob and even helped the Elm Street series. In my mind, it’s a third in the trilogy of reimagining Classic Horror and bringing something new to these stories for the contemporary audience.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. You touched on incorporating some history in the new Witchboard, and this adds some depth.
We enter the French Quarter of New Orleans, and there are some shots of New Orleans that people will recognize. What led you to want to shoot in New Orleans like you did?
Chuck Russell – I researched it, and I spent some time in New Orleans. It happened to be a transitional time in my life, and I was alone there for a week. I got into the off of the main drag shops that practitioners get their what you’d call supplies from, I would guess, in Wicca and Voodoo. And that’s the real thing. And there’s a vibe to that. It’s a very dangerous vibe. So, I don’t recommend these practices to people.
People who practice Wicca consider it a religion and respect it for that. There are people who consider themselves white witches. But it’s also a potential obsession and can lead to a dark side and terrible karma as well. So, we dramatize that in Witchboard. It’s a bit of a cautionary tale.
Cryptic Rock – Most certainly. Even if you are someone who has no belief in witchcraft, do you really want to mess with it?
Chuck Russell – Correct. I think it’s resonant because, as wild as the movie is, it’s based on historical elements, true to witches. This is not a history movie. Let’s be straight with the fans. I have a short attention span. It’s fast-paced. It’s every scare I ever thought I hadn’t yet done in Horror that I could bring to the audience.
Cryptic Rock – Right, and it works well. Everyone did a great job with their roles as well. What was it like working with everyone?
Chuck Russell – Great. I love actors. I come from the theater. So, I’m a little more actor-centric than some directors. Jamie Campbell Bower was our first casting decision because he blew us all away in Stranger Things. He is amazing in the tradition of great English actors. He’s really going to have a fantastic career ahead of him.
Madison Iseman is our leading lady and a talented star, known for her roles in the Jumanji films and Annabelle Comes Home (2019). She was courageous, too. These were all practical effects. We built that bedroom eight feet in the air. So, everything you see happened to her happened in real time, full-scale on the set.
Then, Aaron Dominguez and Melanie Jamison were their amazing up-and-coming new actors and actresses. That is one of my main thrills as a director – Am I bringing up new stars?, Am I giving the audience new actors to follow?
I think Aaron and Melanie, along with Antonio Desplat (who plays our witch), are incredible, versatile young actors who have a great future ahead of them.
Cryptic Rock – Definitely. They all did a great job. Without giving too much away, there does appear to be an open ending for future Witchboard movies. Was that done so with intent?
Chuck Russel – Of course. Remember that there were three Witchboard movies that started in the ’80s. And I’m really happy because recently, Kevin Tenney (the director of the original) came to a screening last week, loved it, and posted a glowing review about it. I thought he’d be upset with me because we don’t stick to the original.
These are new characters and events, but they are obviously inspired by the original. There is already a Witchboard universe. However, I don’t really talk about these things. The audience needs to see the film. The early audiences have loved it, so I’m very excited to get it out there in theaters on August 15th.
If people visit our website at witchboardmovie2025.com, they can view our exciting new short-format trailers. They’re really fun. The audience will let us know. Certainly, there’s more Witchboard in my head. Let’s see the bounce on the film, and then we’ll start talking about further Witchboards.
Cryptic Rock – It will be exciting to see what happens. Witchboard would be your first Horror movie in over two decades. Your last would be 2000’s Bless the Child. Would you say Witchboard has opened the door to potentially working on other Horror projects?
Chuck Russell – Yes, because, as I said, I waited till I felt I could top myself in the genre. Now the pressure’s off. I love this film, and I don’t say that often. Directors are sometimes the most critical of their own work. I don’t have to hold back now. I can do Horror. There’s sort of a Sci-Fi Horror I’m looking at.
I love film. I can’t predict exactly the next one. There are forces at play, as Jamie says in our trailer. I love filmmaking, and I try to give something for international audiences to truly entertain them.
Cryptic Rock – Understood. You mentioned that you also enjoy helping to bring up-and-coming actors to the forefront. With that said, you have also worked with some extremely established actors, such as John Travolta, Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and others. Is there a difference working with established actors and up-and-coming ones?
Chuck Russell – Of course. I talked to Arnold Schwarzenegger before working with him on Eraser, and he has a brand. We didn’t use that word, but I’m aware of what Arnold fans want. And we helped develop that screenplay. Eraser was released after True Lies (1994), and I’m a fan of James Cameron, who is also an acquaintance of mine. So, I wanted to do a great job there.
With Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), that was his first leading role with The Scorpion King. He appeared in The Mummy (1999), but he only worked for two days, and he spoke what he calls fake Egyptian. I said to him, Dwayne, “This is your first leading role.” For me, as a director, the fun is also helping to create a brand.
With Dwayne, I knew where we were going. I knew very specifically what I felt we needed to do for him in giving him confidence to really get out there in emotional scenes. Action is character, right? It’s not just you know, Dramas that require acting. In a sword fight, if you’re just doing the dance of the sword fight without performing the emotion of it, you’re not acting. So that’s the fun. It is taking a new actor, as talented as Duane is. He’s been a champ over the decades with his work.
Coaching new actors, Cameron Diaz had never acted before in her life when I gave her the leading female role in The Mask. But I come from the theater. There’s a craft to it. There’s a technique. In the readings, Jim Carrey was better as an actor in a scene reading with Cameron Diaz, just in the audition. I realized immediately there’s real chemistry here. We’re seeking chemistry not just in a romantic story, but amongst brotherly love with guys that are part of a cast.
In Witchboard, Madison Eiseman and Aaron Dominguez had such good chemistry, I had to ask them, “Did you guys know it?” And it turned out they did know each other, and they’re part of an LA friend group. So, they knew each other apparently very well. I don’t think romantically, and I don’t want to suggest that, but they knew each other very well. Even in their first reading, I said, “Well, I totally believe these two as a couple. It’s great. So you know, let’s go.”
Cryptic Rock – It is a director’s intuition. You just go with it.
Chuck Russell – Exactly, and it’s fun to give young actors new opportunities.
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