A remake of the 1986 horror classic Witchboard follows engaged couple Emily and Christian. While preparing to open their bistro in the New Orleans French Quarter, the couple stumbles upon a pendulum board, a strange Wiccan artifact. Emily becomes obsessed with the power of the board and its ability to summon spirits, much to Christian's horror. Without any other option, Christian seeks help from the occult expert Alexander Babiaste in the hopes of saving his fiance. However, Babtiste has his own secrets, which will put Emily's very soul in even more danger.

Witchboard is written and directed by horror legend Chuck Russell. Witchboard features a star-studded cast led by Jamie Campbell Bower, Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Antonia Desplat, and Charlie Tahan. The first teaser for the remake of the 1980s classic debuted at San Diego Comic-Con during the Bold Voices in Horror panel.

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During San Diego Comic-Con, Screen Rant spoke with Chuck Russell about Witchboard. 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 about Witchboard. It was a classic film, and now we're bringing it back. Why do you think Witchboard needed a remake?

Chuck Russell: For the same reason I felt The 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. It's great that this is a part of horror real estate that the audiences have a good spot in their heart for still, and I've just brought a whole new sensibility to the film.

For those that may not be familiar, what is Witchboard?

Chuck Russell: The classic was really the original Ouija films. And done a bit on a shoestring budget, but done very well. And was famous for Tawny Kitaen being one of the leads, who was an MTV star at the time. 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. Can you talk to me about how different it is directing something that you wrote as opposed to directing somebody else's vision?

Chuck Russell: As a director, you ultimately end up consuming the films at any case, from someone else's script or mine. I often polish a script. But I've done a couple of original writings, including the Third Nightmare on Elm Street, which was my first gig as a director. 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.

And then the trick is, this is a tip for all your directors or future directors out there: you got to let your actors take the lead. You can't overwork your own imagination. It's like having an amazing chemistry set. We have to see what the actors are bringing to the role and maybe even leave a little room for improv. 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. There's a very interesting legacy with the Wiccan world and some of the ancient things that come from Wicca. And there's just something in my head, I still feel, that's very resonant, and there's a whole modern movement towards it as well. Great elements for a horror film.

How do you balance and stay true to the original while making this completely your own with Witchboard?

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 for Witchboard fans 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. And I had to top anything I've done or that was done in the original, and I actually think we pulled it off.

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. And that's the joy of the editing room, is you have complete control again, after the set, to stretch a moment to try to figure out what is the exact timing you feel the audience will respond to.

It's incredible. Now, can you talk to me a little bit about the casting process and what your cast brought to their roles that weren't necessarily on the page?

Chuck Russell: Yeah, of course. Look, Madison Iseman, who you know from Jumanji and the Annabelle series, is an amazing young actress. 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. I saw Jamie in Stranger Things as a lot of people did, and I just thought, I have got to move this young man up to the next point in his career, and he just grabbed the opportunity. So he's, I think, a wonderful surprise in this film and brings a lot of credibility to the role.

Witchboard was three films. 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. That was actually the origin of Ouija boards, was you're not allowed to have a pendulum or you'd get burned as a witch in those days. So this is where it all came from originally. And visually, a pendulum board is a whole wonderful device for us in cinema.

I love that this film is set in New Orleans because I feel like New Orleans has a vibe like no other city has. 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. But one of the tricks of this film is there was a lot happening in the 1700s in this story. 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.

Are there any other classic horror films that you have your eye on and possibly want to...

Chuck Russell: I'll tell you, both The Blob and Witchboard, with respect to the films, were a great palette for me, but there was room for improvement. I don't know why people remake great films. I've been offered good films to remake that have been remade over the years, and I wouldn't touch them because they were terrific.

Yeah, that's a great point. I had this conversation last night about Back to the Future. I feel like that's a movie that can never be remade. What are some untouchable films that you never want to see remade?

Chuck Russell: Oh... So many classics. Butch and Sundance, which one of the films that inspired me as a kid, because just the casting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. 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. So I apologize for people that don't like the concept of remakes, but what it does is it helps... This is a truly independent film. It helped me get everything I need to do a great film independently to have the legacy of a great film like Witchboard behind us.

Talk to me about Emily and Christian's relationship in Witchboard and the lengths they will go to for each other.

Chuck Russell: I'm going to try to 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 see Witchboard?

Chuck Russell: Coming up in 2024. We're trying to figure out exactly when it will be released. And because we are the very best kind of independent film, we have our choice of distributors, and I just need to finish my film the way we started it.

About Witchboard

Emily (Madison Iseman) and her fiancé Christian (Aaron Dominguez) discover a mysterious Wiccan artifact, a pendulum board, as they prepare to open a bistro in New Orleans’ French Quarter. A darkness descends over Emily as she becomes obsessed with the board’s power of divination and ability to summon spirits. Desperate to help his fiancé, Christian seeks the advice of occult expert Alexander Babiaste (Jamie Campbell Bower). 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 Emily’s very soul at risk.

Witchboard is expected to release in 2024.