The Craft: Legacy Is Full of Clever Nods to the Original

It’s been 24 years since The Craft came out, but fans of all ages still faithfully break it out every time October rolls back around. Starring Rachel True, Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, and Neve Campbell, the film and its fearlessly witchy story (not to mention the outfits) have largely stood the test of time. And now that witchcraft is more mainstream, The Craft is just as relevant today as it was in 1996. So it’s fitting that this Halloween a sequel—The Craft: Legacy, out now—finally brings the cult classic fully into the present.

Like the original, The Craft: Legacy features a quartet of eye-catching teen witches: Lily (Cailee Spaeny), Tabby (Lovie Simone), Lourdes (Zoey Luna), and Frankie (Gideon Adlon). Together they explore their growing powers while struggling with challenges from both within the coven and without.

When a movie is as beloved as The Craft, continuations are tricky territory. In the past, rumors of a Craft sequel have been met with resounding protests. Why revisit the movie at all, and what would that look like? Writer and director Zoe Lister-Jones, a big fan of The Craft herself, admits the project was intimidating, adding that “for many people, that film is perfect.” Part of her intention with the sequel was to create a movie that stands on its own with a brand new plot and characters, yet similar themes.

“Hopefully this movie can say something new and touch people still who are fans of the original, and a new generation of people who might not have seen it,” she says.

Fans of The Craft will find the movie’s structure familiar, including a few of the most iconic scenes. “I obviously want to pay homage to the original, and there are Easter eggs throughout,” Lister-Jones explains. (And yes, there’s a surprise appearance by an O.G. cast member.)

But there are more differences than similarities. The new movie features two witches of color, Tabby and Lourdes, rather than one; and for the first time, there’s a trans witch, Lourdes (played by trans Latinx actor Zoey Luna). Instead of turning against their own sisters, the witches battle a common enemy: the patriarchy. Rather than solely worshiping a male deity known as Manon, their magic is far more elemental and homemade. As Tabby says: “Half the battle of having powers is believing you do.”

Lister-Jones enlisted the help of real witches Pam Grossman, Bri Luna, and Erin Fogel behind the scenes. The cast brought their own magic to the set as well. Lister-Jones says Luna, Simone, and Adlon each had their own witchy practices before the film, ranging from crystals to tarot. The set became a community in which all four actors formed their own IRL coven. It was “a great life imitating art moment,” Lister-Jones says. The actors’ chemistry comes across clearly on camera, with each one turning out a dynamic, yet natural performance.

The new film clearly strives to offer a more modern, feminist take on the Craft universe. It explores sisterhood, sexual fluidity, and a form of witchcraft that isn’t inherently evil or dangerous. One of the movie’s biggest strengths is that it’s visually gorgeous and fun to watch. These witches aren’t restricted by Catholic school uniforms. They don creative, stylish looks that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Euphoria. The iridescent glitter! The pearls! The chokers!

But that brings us to another striking difference between the original The Craft and The Craft: Legacy: In 1996 witchcraft was niche and taboo, and the film reflects that. In 2020 witchcraft is cool. At a time when smudge sticks are sold in Urban Outfitters and young women cosplay as, well, characters from The Craft, the idea that the four teen witches in this film are outcasts or misfits is a much tougher sell.

It doesn’t help that we don’t learn much about any of the witches aside from Lily, whose story is closest to Sarah’s from the original. Their families, their struggles, their journeys to witchcraft—aside from a few one-liners, all of that remains a mystery as Lily’s journey takes center stage. While it’s nice to see more witches of color and an openly trans witch, it would’ve been much more effective if these characters were fleshed out as complex people with subplots of their own, as in the original film.

But there may be more to come. Asked whether we can expect a follow-up movie, Lister-Jones says that if people are interested, she’s definitely on board. “It would be really cool to get to explore these characters even further,” she says. “And to see what new characters could enter the story.”

Kim Wong-Shing is a New Orleans–based writer and editor with bylines in Bitch Media, Autostraddle, Bustle, and more. Visit her website, kimwongshing.com.

Originally Appeared on Glamour