'The Craft': 10 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About One of Your Favorite '90s Movies

Twenty years ago this week, four teenage girls dabbled in magic powers and unleashed forces more powerful than they could have imagined. We're not just talking about the plot of "The Craft" (released on May 3, 1996), but also the wave it launched of pretty-young-magical-gal stories on the big and small screens (from "Practical Magic" to "Charmed").

For all its influence and popularity, there's still much you may not know about "The Craft." Here are some of the secrets behind the beloved teen-witch cautionary tale.
1. Star Robin Tunney (center), who plays Sarah, wore a wig throughout the film, having recently shaved her head for her role in "Empire Records."

2. How did director Andrew Fleming do so well in understanding the mindset of his teen-girl heroines -- not only in "The Craft," but also in "Dick" and "Nancy Drew"? According to Fleming, "Dick" co-star Michelle Williams figured out the answer. "Michelle said that, despite my manly exterior, I'm actually a 15-year-old girl, and I do feel very giddy and school girlish quite a lot of the time."
3. Fairuza Balk (Nancy) is the only one of the four leads who was an actual practicing Wiccan, at least for a little while. At the time of the shoot, she was the owner of Panpipes Magickal Marketplace, an occult shop in Hollywood.

4. Bonnie in "The Craft" was the first major film role for Neve Campbell. Skeet Ulrich (Chris) and her worked together for the first time here, a few months before they reunited in "Scream."
5. Rachel True was nearly 30 when she played the teenage Rochelle. Classic Hollywood.

6. The beach ritual scene seemed to summon up some real-life creepy vibes. During filming, a horde of bats appeared and lingered (creepy). The waves extinguished the candles. And at the climactic moment, when Balk's Nancy cried out for the spirit to fill her, the power went out.
7. The knife fight between Tunney and Balk won the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight, beating such experienced big-screen fighters as Jackie Chan (in "Police Story 4") and Jim Brown (in "Mars Attacks").

8. The film cost a reported $15 million to produce. It earned back $56 million at the worldwide box office.

9. "The Craft" has been credited as the main influence on the growth of real-life teen interest in Wicca over the past 20 years.
10. A year ago, Sony announced plans for a remake, to be written and directed by horror filmmaker Leigh Janiak ("Honeymoon"). Among the original stars, Balk balked, proclaiming on Twitter that she doesn't approve of remakes in general.



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