The original Bewitched was a lighthearted sitcom about a supernaturally gifted housewife who could alter reality just by wiggling her nose.
But it sounds like we’ll soon be presented with a very different version of Samantha Stephens.
A reboot described as “an irreverent hourlong reimagination” of Bewitched is currently in development by Sony and writer-producer Judalina Neira.
Yes, this is your classic “gritty reboot,” and if Neira’s work on The Boys is any indication, you can expect it to be quite dark.
Perhaps Samantha will use her powers to become a cocaine kingpin, or maybe every time she wiggles her nose, a random person will die. The possibilities are endless!
According to a new report from Deadline, Neira — who will be executive producing alongside Doug Robinson and Lauren Moffat — is helming the show as the first project for both her overall deal with Sony and her new production company, Famous Last Words.
“Judalina joined the Sony family with her work on The Boys, and we are incredibly proud of her contributions to supporting creator Eric Kripke’s vision,” said Sony’s head of creative, Lauren Stein, in a statement issued today.
“She brings passion and authenticity and has been such a champion for the representation and growth of Latinx writers — we knew we had to make a deal with her,” Stein continued.
“We are so excited to have her call Sony home and can’t wait for what is to come as we deepen our relationship.”
“It’s been such a pleasure telling wicked stories with the team at Sony TV these past few years,” Neira said today.
“I couldn’t be more amped to join forces with them for this next big step in my career. And under our newly launched Famous Last Words Productions, I’m excited to both write and produce a full slate of hooky character-forward shows that dish up delight with bite.”
There have been several previous attempts to reboot, Bewtiched, and most of them haven’t panned out.
So Sony is attempting to break a decades-old curse here.
The most famous example of a failed Bewitched reboot is the reviled 2005 feature film starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell.
Other attempts failed before they got out of the gate, including an attempted CBS relaunch in 2011, an NBC pilot production commitment that did not go to series in 2014, and yet another unaired pilot developed by ABC in 2018.
But despite that worrisome history, Sony is going all in on Bewitched these days.
In addition to Neira’s reboot, Sony Pictures TV – Kids is developing an animated Bewitched series that follows the pre-teen adventures of Samantha’s daughter, Tabitha.
With any luck, the new Bewitched will match the success of the 1964 version with an eight-season run and a theme song so catchy that it’ll stay stuck in your head for 60 years!
Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.
