Swedish filmmaker Ninja Thyberg is set to write and direct a remake of George Miller’s 1987 film The Witches of Eastwick. The deal was signed last week. It is yet to be known if Thyberg’s screenplay with be based on Miller’s version which was adapted by writer Michael Cristofer, or on the original 1984 novel by John Updike. The story follows three single women in a picturesque village, whose wishes are granted, at a cost, when a mysterious, flamboyant man arrives in their lives.
The 1987 film starred Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer. It was nominated for best original score for John Williams and best sound at the 1988 Oscars and won the Bafta for best special effects the same year.
The remake will be produced by Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher. Thyberg’s debut feature Pleasure is currently on the festival circuit. The film was launched at the online Sundance 2021, having originally been selected for Cannes 2020, and then awarded the Cannes Label since the festival did not take place.