Warner Bros. is prepping a remake of 1987 fantasy/comedy movie The Witches of Eastwick, but it already faces an insurmountable problem. While it's pretty well-remembered today, The Witches of Eastwick actually wasn't a huge success at time of release. It was profitable to be sure, bringing in $63.8 million on a $22 million budget, but not massively so. It did, however, garner mostly positive reviews from critics, and years of airings on cable and releases on home video made director George Miller's film a popular cult item.
Based on a 1984 novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Updike, The Witches of Eastwick's most famous aspect is no doubt its cast. The titular witches are played by pop superstar and occasional actor Cher, future Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon, and future iconic Catwoman actress Michelle Pfeiffer. Playing Daryl Van Horne, a mysterious man who first woos all three ladies and appears to be the man of their collective dreams, is Jack Nicholson, one of the most respected and acclaimed actors in Hollywood history.
Set to direct Warner Bros' remake of The Witches of Eastwick is Swedish filmmaker Ninja Thyberg, who so far only has one feature on her resume, 2021's adult film industry-focused drama Pleasure. No casting has been announced so far for the remake, but no matter what Warner Bros. does, they're going to be facing a seemingly impossible task in that department.
The Witches Of Eastwick Can Never Replace Jack Nicholson
While Cher, Sarandon, and Pfieffer are all their usual great selves as Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, the now retired Jack Nicholson is just on another level as Daryl Van Horne. Nicholson sometimes get knocked for going over the top too much, but he does so splendidly here, and it works wonderfully for the devilish role. Nicholson is initially extremely charming and charismatic, and it's easy to see why the three women might fall for his advances. Later on, when his more villainous nature is revealed, Nicholson's manic energy shines through, making his scenes all very memorable.
Nicholson's Daryl is terrific, and above all else, tends to be the thing most people remember about The Witches of Eastwick after they watch it. Nicholson has such a unique style and way of speaking that it's very hard to imagine anyone being able to fill his shoes in the remake. About the best Warner Bros. could hope for is trying to do something different with the Daryl role, perhaps make him a bit more understated and cast someone like Tom "Loki" Hiddleston.