Massive spoilers ahead for The Craft: Legacy.
The horror genre has been on a roll for the past few years, in no small part due to the projects produced by Blumhouse Studios. In addition to creating new concepts, the horror house has also brought back a variety of beloved franchises. That includes Zoe Lister-Jones The Craft: Legacy, which is a follow-up to Andrew Fleming's 1996 cult classic. The new movie featured a wild cameo, and now we know how it all came together.
Rather than a true sequel, The Craft: Legacy felt like its own movie. While Zoe Lister-Jones had plenty of homages and nods to the original, the story and characters functioned entirely different. But the final moments of the film reveal that Cailee Spaeny's protagonist Lilly is actually the daughter of Nancy Downs, with Fairuza Balk making a brief appearance as her signature Craft character. The 46 year-old actress recently explained what convinced her to return, saying:
It went through a lot of different incarnations. But the reason that I got involved was because her motivation was a really positive one. There are so many movies that are reinforcing women fighting women and the bitchiness. We've had so much of that; we know that already. The whole movement that's happening nowadays in regards to women and taking back their power and setting definite lines as to what's acceptable and what's not and insisting on those changes being implemented in the world is really long overdue, and it's happening finally! More and more women are stepping up and owning their power, and that is a positive thing, and that was why I wanted to work with her.
And there you have it. While Fairuza Balk might have originally been nervous to bring back her character Nancy in The Craft: Legacy, it looks like director/writer Zoe Lister-Jones' vision for the movie helped convince her. Namely because the coven of witches doesn't turn on each other, but are united against a common enemy throughout the course of the movie's 90-minute runtime.
Fairuza Balk's comments to EW further shows how Zoe Lister-Jones' concepts for The Craft: Legacy helped to convince the movie's cast and crew to get involved. Rather than trying (in vain) to recreate the magic of Andrew Fleming's original, she found a brand new story to tell. And it was the female friendships that ultimately sold the American History X actress.
Most of The Craft: Legacy's contents are disconnected to the events of the original film. While there are visual parallels and homages made to the '90s cult classic, the story focuses on a new group of young witches coming into their power. That is, until the final very final moments of the movie featuring the already iconic cameo.
During The Craft: Legacy's runtime, Lilly's mother Helen (Michelle Monaghan) reveals that she's actually adopted. The last scene features her being dropped off to meet her biological mother, who turns out to be Nancy Downs. Suddenly Lilly's mysterious power makes a great deal of sense, and the sequence could seemingly set up a sequel. We'll just have to see if another movie ever becomes a reality.
The Craft: Legacy is currently available via video on demand. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
