Some of modern history’s most accomplished filmmakers began in Horror before transitioning into a variety of more mainstream genres. Sam Raimi, because with The Evil Dead in 1981, later went on to direct a trilogy of Spider-Man movies between 2002 and 2007. Peter Jackson began with Bad Taste in 1987, later finding major success with The Lord of the Rings film series. Furthermore, Francis Ford Coppola launched his career in 1963 with Dementia 13, before directing all-time great films like 1972’s The Godfather. Just a handful of the many names who used Horror as a launching pad, lest we not forget Chuck Russell, the director of major box office hits like 1994’s The Mask, 1996’s Eraser, and 200’s The Scorpion King, while he spent much of his early years in the Horror realm.
Breaking it down, Russell worked as a producer on films such as 1980’s The Hearse and 1981’s Hell Night, before becoming the director who took on the daunting task of continuing the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise after the less than positive response to 1985’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge. Up to the challenge, Russell took on the project, directing one of the most successful sequels in the series, 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
Proving his worth to the Horror cinema genre, Russell would be tested again in 1988 when he was hired to write and direct a remake of 1958’s The Blob. A reimagining vastly different than the original with something of its own to offer, Russell would direct one more Horror movie thereafter with 2000’s Bless the Child starring Kim Basinger, and step away from the genre. However, in recent years, there were rumblings that the veteran filmmaker was considering a return to Horror, and that was realized with his new film, Witchboard.
Also a remake, the original Witchboard from 1986 was the directorial debut of Kevin Tenney, who would go on to make the cult classic Night of the Demons in 1988. A film starring ’80s Rock music video icon Tawny Kitaen, Witchboard was a decent box office hit, and in the Horror community, it stands as a fan-favorite from the ’80s era. One of the few films to explore the mystic and danger of using a Ouija board, decades later, Blumhouse Productions revisited the theme with their 2014 film, Ouija.
With that being said, the whole idea of exploiting Ouija boards in Horror cinema has been few and far between. A bit puzzling, considering the eeriness of communicating with the dead through a magical board, it is clear that Russell only took on the idea of remaking Witchboard, feeling he had something to offer the micro-subgenre. Handling the source material with care and respect, for his screenplay of Witchboard, you will find few similarities to the original, and that is not a bad thing.
Explaining this further, Tenney’s original Witchboard is a pretty good Horror film, but merely modernizing and rehashing that story would be unnecessary. Instead, Russell takes the theme of 1986’s Witchboard, introduces new characters, and provides an entirely different spin on it all.
Initially premiering at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 26, 2024, Chuck Russell’s Witchboard was picked up by The Avenue and Atlas Distribution with a wide theatrical release set for August 15, 2025. One of a list of Horror films hitting theaters this summer, Witchboard takes place in modern-day New Orleans, where a couple, Christian and Emily, uncover an ancient witchboard in the woods, which, unbeknownst to them, was stolen from a museum. Nonetheless, they take it home, Emily begins to tinker with it, and bad things start to happen. Compounding everything, an eccentric occult expert named Alexander Babtiste is introduced, and matters become much darker.
Moving along at a steady pace with a heavier hand of action than 1986’s Witchboard, Russell’s film does a great job of developing the characters of Emily and Christian, as well as the bond they share. Both of which are portrayed exceptionally well by Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 2017, Annabelle Comes Home 2019) as Emily and Aaron Dominguez (Two Sides: Unfaithful series, Only Murders in the Building series) as Christian, it cannot be understated how effective Jamie Campbell Bower (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 2018, Stranger Things series) is as Alexander Babtiste.
Combining strong acting, a compelling story with some cool historical elements integrated, matched with the distinctive backdrop of New Orleans, Chuck Russell’s Witchboard is a successful continuation of the film franchise. In fact, it is essential to mention that two sequels followed 1986’s Witchboard: 1993’s Witchboard 2: The Devil’s Doorway and 1995’s Witchboard III: The Possession. Considering this, and seeing how the new Witchboard concludes, do not be surprised if new offshoots sprout soon.
Overall, if you are expecting this new Witchboard film to be anything like the original, you will be sorely mistaken. Sure, some elements are blended in, but this is a wholly different story with its own pace and style. Well worth checking out, Cryptic Rock gives Witchboard 4 out of 5 stars.
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