Actors that star in long-delayed sequels aren’t obligated to be overly familiar with the original, but it definitely helps. That being said, The Craft: Legacy is barely connected to its 1996 cult classic predecessor, and simply sets an all-new story with an entirely different cast in the same world, with the results being solid if unspectacular.
Andrew Fleming’s The Craft was a genuine sleeper hit after first being released almost a quarter of a century ago, with strong word of mouth powering the teen-orientated supernatural horror to a box office haul of over $55 million against a $15 million budget. Since then, the flick has developed a loyal and passionate following, ensuring that Legacy had a built-in audience even if original star Neve Campbell refused to even entertain the idea of a comeback, as did the rest of the cast from the first movie.
Writer/director Zoe Lister-Jones has already admitted that the second installment was specifically designed with a third in mind, but we’ll have to wait and see how this one performs first before knowing if another outing will be made. In a recent interview, though, star David Duchovny explained what drew him to the project, and also admitted with a simple shake of his head that he still hadn’t gotten around to watching the original.
“It functions on the level of scaring and functions on a level like allegory or political commentary and I really wanted to be a part of that. I mean, I thought it was really smart and really current and I liked what it was saying.”
Sony will be waiting to see how The Craft: Legacy fares in terms of VOD sales and rentals before making the decision over whether or not to proceed with a third chapter, but with a middling Rotten Tomatoes score of 47% and an even lower user rating of 37%, it would appear that fans and critics alike aren’t particularly enamored with the sequel so far.