Witch Hunt tells the story of a modern America where magic is real and witches are persecuted by the government. Claire, played by Gideon Aldon, and her family are part of a network that helps women escape to seek asylum in Mexico. When their organization gets disrupted by federal witch hunters the family struggles to hide two witches in their own home.
Aldon spoke to Screen Rant about taking on witchy projects, how she prepares for her roles, and her feelings about The Society getting canceled by Netflix.
Screen Rant: Spooky season is upon us and you're here to help us bring on the witchy vibes with your new movie Witch Hunt. Can you talk a little bit about the premise and what intrigued you about this movie?
Gideon Adlon: First of all, witches, witchcraft. I've always been so connected to that. Since I was little, my grandma was like, "You come from a long line of witches." And she's always told us that growing up.
When I met Elle [Callahan], honestly, I really wanted to work with her, and I just loved her connection to the characters and how she really kind of wrote them kind of based on her sisters and how she grew up and being an outcast. But also, she wrote it during a very difficult time in our country, which we're not really out of. But it's really just about being an other and not being accepted. And I really think it rings true to people being afraid of women's power and how that's something that will never go away. And then you have the elements of magic, which is really fun. I really wanted to work with Elle and build that relationship. And also, it's awesome I got to work with Elizabeth [Mitchell] and Abby [Cowen] too.
I love that you've been told you come from a long line of witches because I feel like between The Craft: Legacy and this, it's like the final form is coming. But do you feel like you're more drawn to witchy roles because of that?
Gideon Adlon: No. Really, Elle came to me with Witch Hunt. And I met with her, and I was like, "I totally want to do this with you." And then I booked The Craft a while after I did Witch Hunt. So it was really random, and everybody's like, "Oh, you're just doing witch projects." And I'm like, "Not on purpose." But yeah, I don't mind.
What kind of prep do you do for a movie like this?
Gideon Adlon: It's actually funny. Because for Witch Hunt, I started listening to The Witch Wave Podcast [with host] Pam Grossman. I listened to it every day on my way to work because I'd have to drive out pretty far because we filmed at the Westworld house, which is like out, out, out, out, passed L.A. And I'd listen to that podcast. It's about how there are witches around you every day. You might not even realize you're a witch, but you're a witch through your art, you're a witch through how you write things down in your journal, how you're manifesting, conjuring. And so, I was listening to Pam Grossman.
I know a lot about the Salem Witch Trials as well, but that was kind of my prep for this role. And then for The Craft, we went to witch school full-on. We learned how to chant. We learned how to do incantations, everything. And Pam Grossman was our in-person teacher. So that was kind of like a full circle, cool moment for me after Witch Hunt because I was such a fan of hers. And she was like my witch mother mentor. Pretty cool.
Speaking of working with great people, my favorite franchise of all time, I think is the Scream franchise. I watched it religiously, and you're doing a movie with Kevin Williamson. How's that, amazing?
Gideon Adlon: Yeah! So I booked that, and I was like, "Whoa." Because I've had great roles in my projects I've done before, but besides Witch Hunt, I've never had another like lead lead, where a story completely revolved around my character. And this was that. And it was huge.
Kevin is so sweet and so cool and very supportive. And the way that John Hyams directed the film was so unlike anything. And Kevin was really willing to like move out of that kind of like the 90s, Scream thing. And it's not Scream, it's a completely different ballgame, but slasher fans will love it. It is really cool. I don't want to give a lot of away, but I think it's coming out beginning of next year. Maybe we'll talk again. I'm wicked excited.
That was one of the hardest shoots though, ever. It was 20 nights, so it was all night shoots. And it was screaming and crying and blood and running and just really tiring, but actually really fulfilling.
We did talk, I think it was exactly a year ago when The Craft: Legacy interviews were happening, but it was pretty soon after The Society got canceled. And that was so sad, but it's been a year and I feel like the fan drive to revive that show #BringBackTheSociety has not stopped. Do you follow along with that? And what does that feel like?
Gideon Adlon: I don't follow along with it, but, I'm one of those post on Instagram, delete the app people, because Instagram is very toxic for me. It's hard. That app is difficult, but every time I log on, there's more tags and #BringBackTheSociety. And I think it's incredible that so many people loved that show.
I really wish that we could have given them season two, because season two [was] going to be amazing, but what are you going to do? The world went up in flames and that show fell victim to it. But it's nice to know that we touched people.
And it's hard because everyone's kind of moved on and booked other things. It feels like it'd be hard to do it at this point, but do you feel like it could happen in any way?
Gideon Adlon: I threw out this idea a while ago when it got canceled. I was like, "Well, since you have the second season [of The Society] written, why don't we do a podcast?" It still hasn't happened, but maybe I'll bring it up with Chris [Keyser] again because I would love [it]. I just want people to know what happens. Maybe we could just put a button on it.
Did you even get all the secrets? Do you have unanswered questions still?
Gideon Adlon: I know the things people want to know.
I didn't realize that your mom, Pamela Adlon, also raised me because I listened to all her characters my entire life. Can you do any of the voices that she does?
Gideon Adlon: Oh, God, let me see. No. Also, Bobby scared the s**t out of me when I was little. I did not like the Bobby Hill voice. When my mom would do it around me, I'd be like, "Uh." Because she started King of the Hill when she was pregnant with me and did it until I was 13.
You can't compare. No, she's the OG.
Witch Hunt is now available on to rent or own on digital.