INTERVIEW: Chuck Russell heads to NOLA for new ‘Witchboard’ movie
Photo: Madison Iseman stars as Emily in Witchboard. Photo courtesy of The Avenue and Atlas Distribution / Provided by KWPR with permission.
Chuck Russell has some serious genre credibility. He’s the director behind such classics as the remake of The Blob and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, two beloved films in horror history. Plus, he’s the man responsible for The Mask, The Scorpion King and Eraser. Now he’s back with Witchboard, which is inspired by a 1986 film of the same name.
In this tale, a cursed artifact is played around with by unknowing newcomers to the power of divination, and they unleash a vengeful witch on the city. Russell prefers “inspired by” than remake, and that’s because this witch tale, which is set in New Orleans, is wholly original.
“I was starting my own Nightmare 3 not far from when the original [Witchboard] came out,” Russell said in a recent phone interview. “But I admired the original, and I recognize it as a really great piece of pop culture now. That started the whole Ouija board movie subgenre in horror, and there have been many since. In fact, I didn’t want to do a remake. I was offered the property, and I said, ‘Look, I’m going to reinvent it.’ And I referred them to The Blob and to Elm Street 3. In fact, I think of this as the third in a trilogy for me of reinventing classic horror.”
It’s hard to argue with Russell’s thesis that his films are less remakes and more reimaginings. He said New Line, at the time, didn’t now if the Elm Street franchise would continue after the second installment, so when he joined the team, he convinced them they needed to head in a different direction. Ditto for The Blob, which was inspired by the 1950s original, but became its own thing.
“I essentially blew up what Wes Craven did so brilliantly, and on The Blob the same thing,” he said. “People kept asking me, ‘Who is going to play Steve McQueen?’ So I made sure to kill that character in the first 20 minutes. From that point on, they knew all bets were off with that film. It remains popular today. Both of those seem to remain popular today because the practical effects don’t age. They age very beautifully, so when this property came up, I’ve been fascinated with pendulum boards, which predated Ouija boards and are more colorful, more mystical. It’s all astrological signs and ancient symbols, and they were used for spellcasting and divination and opening a gateway to the spiritual world. So I’m not encouraging people to investigate this. It’s a cautionary tale, but they’re a big part of the mystical history of Wicca and been around since ancient Egypt. So they’re more visual, more imaginative, and they open the door to doing things I’ve never seen before on film. So Witchboard is a reimagining that honors the original.”
Russell admitted to Hollywood Soapbox that the pendulum board from the movie is located today in his office, but he doesn’t mess around with these mystical boards. He shows them the respect they deserve.
“All the symbols mean something across ancient mythology, so it’s a very authentic board,” the director said. “But I wouldn’t keep a Ouija board at home. Jamie Campbell Bower, our leading man, is an aficionado of those things, but I think I like keeping these things in my imagination and my films. I believe in the spiritual world. I’ve experienced the spiritual world. It’s a real thing, both the good and the evil side, so using that knowledge helps me imagine these sequences.”
Joining Campbell Bower in the cast is a long list of up-and-coming actors in Hollywood, including Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Melanie Jarnson, Charlie Tahan and Antonia Desplat. Their talents on screen can be enjoyed by audience members starting Friday, Aug. 15, when Witchboard hits movie theaters. Russell said he loves working with new talent, especially this cast.
“Dwayne Johnson had never been the lead in a feature film when we did The Scorpion King,” Russell said. “Jim Carrey was not yet a movie star. Ace Ventura hadn’t been released when I was shooting The Mask. Cameron Diaz had never acted before. Patricia Arquette in Elm Street 3, that was her first feature film. I come from theater, so that’s a joy of mine. You can see a new talent and give them an opportunity. That’s what’s fun about Mel and Aaron both, and they’re amazing in the film. Antonia Desplat, who plays the witch, unbelievable. You’re going to see more of her, too. She’s incredible.”
He added: “Jamie Campbell Bower I saw on Stranger Things, and that was the first role we cast. He blows me away. He’s a trained, wonderful English actor. He goes for it. He’s the real thing. He can do no wrong on a set. We got along very well. And Madison Iseman is a movie star. She was in Jumanji and Annabelle, and she was very courageous. The things that happened to Madison’s characters were real-time events on set. Those were all practical effects, all the hands grabbing her. The entire bedroom set was built 8 feet in the air so we could do all that to Madison in real time, so she’s not only a great actress, she’s a tough cookie and great spirit.”
The New Orleans setting for Witchboard was important for Russell. In fact, a sad period of the director’s life took place in the Crescent City. He traveled to town because one of his relatives was in a hospital with a specialist, and that trip helped him build the world of Witchboard.
“We had to travel to New Orleans for her, and I was there as a helper and guardian,” he said. “So I was alone in New Orleans and wandering around with my imagination. Of course, I found the most authentic witchcraft and voodoo shops off the main drag, and the atmosphere of the New Orleans music and the colors of New Orleans, the French influence and the food, the music really got into my head. I felt a dread in the places where the real practitioners got what you might call supplies, and that never left me. And I thought, well, if I’m doing Witchboard, I am doing witches, and I am doing New Orleans. That was all inspired from a period of my life that was sort of a sad period.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Witchboard, directed by Chuck Russell, will be released Friday, Aug. 15. CIick here for more information.
