1996’s teen horror classic “The Craft” left an indelible mark on many coming-of-age fright fanatics. The film’s writer Peter Filardi was been teasing a possible musical version!
Filardi’s possible musical should not be confused with “The Craft An Unauthorized Musical Parody,” which has been touring for several years now. As the name states, it is unauthorized, whereas Filardi’s possible version would be.
“We really just started discussing it,” Filardi said. “[The Craft] was my story, and I got the story credit, so that gives me something called separate rights, which covers theater. I didn’t even know that! These people with a track record of doing Broadway musicals approached me and asked me if I had the rights and if I was interested. Once lawyers determined that I did have the rights, I said, ‘I’m definitely interested.’ I’ve just given them a free shopping agreement, and they’re going to try to set it up.” Adding “I would love it if it happened.”
The original film, co-written with Filardi by director Andrew Fleming, tells the story of four teenage outcasts. They find power in practicing witchcraft before it ultimately becomes their downfall.
Feeling like an outcast is why Filardi believes “The Craft” still holds so much power all these years later. “I think it’s the theme. It’s being an outsider and finding a voice,” he says. “When I was first talking about it to producers, they were of the mind that the witches would be the overlords of the school, like a Lost Boys type of thing. I was of a completely different mindset. I just knew that, historically, magic, witchcraft, and Wicca were weapons of the underclass. They’re the last resort of people who don’t have a king or an army or a church behind them. They’re the people of the heath, so they would turn to magic and witchcraft. That’s sort of the type of person I felt like in high school.”
We’ll keep you posted on updates about the possible musical version of “The Craft” as they become available.
“Magic in general, I think, works best when there’s a real need; an emotional need,” Filardi said. “It’s the power of adolescent pain. And I think that’s why it resonates: because that’s never going away.”
