For all the excitement built into the upcoming Marvel TV schedule, which hit new heights thanks to SDCC and D23, my horror fanaticism necessitates that I’m most tuned into the long-awaited WandaVision spinoff Agatha All Along. The mystical and spooky miniseries will finally arrive in September, with episodes releasing weekly all through Halloween season, and stars Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza have stoked that hype-filled energy further by name-dropping some betwitching cinema faves as Agatha’s inspirations.
It may not be as gory or psychologically twisted as some other upcoming horror TV shows, but it sounds like Agatha All Along could be one of Marvel’s darkest efforts yet, and the rare comic book series to focus on a perceived villain. (Albeit one who had her memory wiped the last time we saw her.) And Plaza spoke to its scarier nature by bringing up one of Neve Campbell’s early genre efforts; no, not Scream. As she put it when talking to Total Film:
The Craft is one that I felt was really tonally coming through. That movie gets hardcore scary, and what’s cool about Agatha is it really rides the line. There are times when it’s really funny and almost has this campy quality, but then there are times that it just gets really dark and grounded and scary.
The Craft is a great example of a movie that blurs the lines for its protagonists and antagonists for a while before things get more hectic, and I can easily see Agatha All Along doing the same kind of thing. Although in this case, it may be an issue of the characters starting off evil and then gaining audience sympathy as other more dangerous threats come in, rather than the other way around.
That’s certainly not the only popular ‘90s flick that was mentioned by Agatha’s stars, with Kathryn Hahn herself calling out several, saying:
There’s some Nancy Meyers in there. There is, [as] for witches, some of the friendship of Hocus Pocus – the deep, sweet friendships – and also the terror of Practical Magic, of stuff like Poltergeist or E.T.
Obviously Nancy Meyers isn’t known for her horror cred, and Hocus Pocus is far goofier than freaky, but both comparisons speak more to the emotional core of the series and the sisterhood relationship. As far as spooky, family-friendly vibes go, though, the trio of Practical Magic, Poltergeist and E.T. are quite a mix, but I can definitely see how each could play muse to a certain story beat or thematic element.
For what it’s worth, co-star Joe Locke also laid out a few film references that he picked up on when filming, such as two of the best horror movies of all time, The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby. Though he actually called out The Goonies as being “the big one.” If someone has to do the Truffle Shuffle to put someone else in a hypnotic trance, I am here for it.
Hahn has offered up a “fantastic” tease or two in the past, even if we still have no idea how Marvel-centric those hints were. Personally, I’m sticking with my theory that the show’s constant name changes were the work of Mephisto, but won’t be too flabbergasted to find out that I’m wrong.
Find out what other horror movie and TV influences are there to be recognized when Agatha All Along takes over your Disney+ subscription on Wednesday, September 18.
