Sam Raimi to Direct "Magic" Remake

Sam Raimi has been tapped by Lionsgate to direct "Magic", a 1978 cult horror classic that featured Anthony Hopkins as a mentally unstable ventriloquist. 

"Magic" featured Hopkins as Corky, a magician who reaches fame alongside his ventriloquist’s dummy, the obnoxious and wisecracking Fats.

Faced with the prospect of signing a network deal for his show, but afraid of revealing his fragile mental state, the magician takes off for the Catskills, where he tries to reconnect with a high school love, even as Fats begins to murderously take control of the situation.

The movie also starred Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith, was directed by Richard Attenborough, and was written by William Goldman, based on his novel.

"Magic" generated buzz before its release by 20th Century Fox with a TV ad that focused just on the face of the dummy, which declared “Magic is fun, we’re dead.”

Raimi, creator of the Evil Dead franchise and director of the landmark 2000s Spider-Man trilogy, was already on board to produce the project alongside Roy Lee, producer of "It" and "Weapons".

Chris Hammond and Tim Sullivan, who long have championed the project, will produce alongside Raimi and Lee.

Raimi Productions’ Zainab Azizi will also produce. Nathan Kahane and Paul Fishkin will executive produce alongside Andrew Childs for Vertigo.

The project is written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, reuniting with Raimi and Azizi from "Send Help" for 20th Century Studios.

Meredith Wieck and Pavan Kalidindi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate.

“Sam is the dream director for this project — in fact, his coming aboard represents one of the truly great matches of director and material,” said Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “The script is fantastic, and we could not be more excited to see Sam’s direction and creative vision take it to another level. We are absolutely thrilled he has chosen to direct the film.”

Raimi most recently directed the hit "Send Help," starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, which he produced with Azizi.

It topped the box office for two weeks earlier this year and grossed around $100 million worldwide.