The Latino-centric nostalgia train keeps on rolling. Last year we saw a Latina-led riff on Charmed; in May, the first trailer for the immigration-themed reboot of Party of Five dropped and we’re getting a Latino Terminator later this year. The next thing to get the reboot treatment with Latinos: The Craft.
It’s been announced that trans actress Zoey Luna has joined Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, and Lovie Simone in a remake of the 1996 teen drama about a new girl who befriends a coven of witches at her high school. The new film, directed by Zoe Lister-Jones will follow Spaeny’s Hannah who begins experimenting with witchcraft alongside her new friends only to discover that the costs outweigh the benefits.
All we know about Luna’s role is that she will play Lourdes, one of the witches who is trans. The original movie only had one woman of color in it so Luna’s casting, coupled with Simone’s, implies this will be a far different take than what went on in 1996. Luna herself is rising up the ranks, recently appearing on the FX series Pose.
These are the reasons why remakes can be worthwhile. Trans performers are still heavily marginalized in film, especially features that aren’t directly about their struggles, so seeing Luna in a fun remake of a teen classic from the ’90s can do a lot for representation. But on the other hand, marginalized people deserve to star in original stories, not just updated old ones. There’s also the question of how much will Luna’s Latina heritage play into the presentation of witchcraft? It’s a discussion worth having, especially considering the reboot of Charmed did little to actually discuss Latin American history in regards to witchcraft, or better put: brujería. There’s a rich heritage to mine if the screenwriter is willing to put in the work. The casting notice for her role does gives us some hope. It explains that Lourdes lives with her abuela who has “taught Lourdes a variety of supernatural practices.”
This new take on The Craft starts filming in July. Here’s to a new generation of teen girls trying to play “Light As a Feather, Stiff as a Board” with their friends.
There’s currently no release date for The Craft.
