Sam Raimi is going from one horror movie to another. Raimi is diving back into the genre to adapt a classic novel that spawned a beloved 1970s psychological horror movie.
What classic horror is Sam Raimi adapting?
According to a new report from Deadline, Lionsgate has tapped Raimi to direct a new adaptation of William Goldman’s novel Magic, which spawned a 1978 movie of the same name. The film will be written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, who previously worked with Raimi and producer Zainab Azizi, all of whom worked on Raimi’s latest movie, Send Help.
The 1978 film followed the story of a failed magician (played by Anthony Hopkins) and ventriloquist, who finds himself controlled by a malicious puppet as he tries to rekindle a failed romance. Alongside Hopkins, Magic also starred Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter, and David Ogden Stiers. The movie was directed by Richard Attenborough, with Goldman writing the screenplay as well.
“Sam is the dream director for this project—in fact, his coming aboard represents one of the truly great matches of director and material,” Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said. “The script is fantastic, and we could not be more excited to see Sam’s direction and creative vision take it to another level. We are absolutely thrilled he has chosen to direct the film.”
Deadline’s report notes that Raimi was already on board to produce the movie, but is now stepping behind the camera to helm the film. For Raimi, it’s yet another return to the horror genre, which he had stepped away from for some time after 2009’s Drag Me to Hell. He recently returned to the genre with 2026’s Send Help, which earned over $90 million at the global box office.
(Source: Deadline)
