48 Years Later, Beloved Cult-Classic Thriller Gets New Release

There’s a long history of creepy dolls in horror cinema. Though it’s hard to pinpoint when the trend became so effective, movies dating back to the ’40s have leaned into the concept, such as in 1945’s Dead of Night. One drawback to these earlier outings, however, was that special effects limited what these on-screen figures could convey, with it not being until the ’80s and titles like Poltergeist, Dolls, and Child’s Play fully embracing technical developments that we earned more believable appearances. To this day, Saw‘s Billy or The Conjuring‘s Annabelle immediately unnerve audiences.

Even with early iterations of creepy on-screen dolls failing to make the toys truly feel alive, these stories found other ways to disturb us. The “Living Doll” episode of The Twilight Zone, for example, and its seemingly innocent visage paired with sinister lines of dialogue cemented the eerie juxtaposition of a joyful expression hiding malevolent actions. Another unconventional example of inventive ways to use a dummy to represent darker ideas came in an Anthony Hopkins movie from 1978.

Based on the novel by William Goldman, Magic was one of Hopkins’ early genre efforts before he solidified himself as an iconic villain with The Silence of the Lambs. While the two movies have drastically different narratives, they both feature compelling performances from Hopkins that leave the audience to wonder what we really should be believing. The project has so much potential, in fact, that The Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi is set to direct a new adaptation of the original novel. Magic is getting an all-new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray upgrade, which will hit shelves on Oct. 6.

Anthony Hopkins stars in the movie 'Magic' — Anthony Hopkins stars in the movie ‘Magic’

In the movie, Hopkins plays a comedian who starts to integrate the ventriloquist dummy “Fats” into his act. This leads to newfound fame and fortune, though it also causes this comedian to develop a fractured mental state, as he grapples with thinking that Fats is coming alive to commit murders.

Special features on this new release are as follows:

NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
NEW Audio Commentary With Film Critic Drew McWeeny (2026)
NEW Audio Commentary With Film Critics Emily Higgins And Billy Dunham (2026)
Radio Interview with Anthony Hopkins
Ann-Margret Make-up Test
Trailer
TV Spots
Radio Spots
Optional English subtitles for the main feature

Magic marks a unique experience for a variety of reasons. The film serves as a showcase for Hopkins’ talents, and while it was far from his first on-screen credit, Magic confirmed how a highly talented performer could help elevate a concept that would be much more absurd for a lesser talent. It also occupies a unique place in the history of creepy doll movies, given that it would only be a few years later that filmmakers would lean into more overt terrors than the psychological thriller elements Magic depicted.

Raimi’s new adaptation of the novel doesn’t yet have a release date. Magic is currently available for pre-order before hitting shelves on Oct. 6.