One of the most beloved TV series of all time, and a key inspiration for Marvel’s WandaVision, is getting the reboot treatment on the big screen. Again. According to Deadline, Sony is developing the classic sitcom Bewitched in a new film adaptation. Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett are writing the script. Matalas and Fickett are also developing the Witch Mountain remake for Disney+. And Matalas is co-showrunner on Star Trek: Picard.
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The original sitcom about a witch married to a mortal man ran for eight seasons, from 1964-1972. It turned its star Elizabeth Montgomery into a household name. During the show’s run, Montgomery’s witch character Samantha is married to a regular mortal man, ad exec Darrin Stephens. For some ridiculous reason, he was always trying to stop his wife from using her magical powers. Intentional or not, this winds up as a significant metaphor for the changing roles of women in America at the time—and men’s frustrations with the growing cultural power of women.
This is not the first big screen remake for the series. Back in 2005, a big screen adaptation hit theaters from director Nora Ephron. That film tried a meta approach with Nicole Kidman playing a real life witch who plays Samantha Stephens in a remake of the original TV series. Will Ferrell played the actor who plays her husband Darrin on the show, and the two fall in love. The film didn’t do well with critics, and disappointed audiences. Many just wanted to see a new version of the classic TV show, not a meta commentary on it.
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From the sound of things, this version will be taking a different approach. So expect something a little more true to the source material. We’re hoping they not only cast the perfect versions of Samantha, but also Samantha’s scene stealing mother Endora. The original series famously had two actors play Darrin, Dick York and Dick Sargent, over the course of the series. Maybe this remake can just switch out Darrins halfway through as a nod to the original show. We’d be so into that.
Featured Image: Sony