Published at https://www.eivnews.com/archives/6829
The wacky, fun and relatable Sabrina the Teenage Witch of the ’90s and early ‘00s is about to get a dark, sexy makeover – and Melissa Joan Hart isn’t so sure what to think about it.
The actress, who originally played the young witch in the happy-go-lucky television series, told EW reporters that she was “indifferent, really” regarding the contemporary Netflix remake which is set to air later this year.
“Nowadays, everybody is just doing the same old stuff again,” she later said to EW, expressing her disdain for Hollywood’s recent taste for prioritizing reboots of old favorites over new content. “If you’re going to do the same show, it probably would fall on its face, but I think what they’re doing is probably the smartest way to reboot something.”
And Hart isn’t the only one who feels this way. Various fans of the cult classic, as well as fans of other shows which have become the subject of modern remakes, such as Charmed and Dallas, have taken to social media to voice their concerns regarding the reboot trend and their desire to take in something new.
But other fans are more enthusiastic about the concept of seeing their favorite, fun-loving witch in a grittier, more Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque fashion. Many who grew up watching Melissa Joan Hart tackle the hilarious and magical struggles of balancing her “witchhood” with her desire to be a normal teenager are excited to see the character take on a new image; one which is more up to date with current trends and can compete for audiences of other dark teen dramas such as American Horror Story, Riverdale and Stranger Things.
The new Netflix series is set to air this fall and will star Mad Men actress Kiernan Shipka. It will be based more closely on the comic book written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, rather than the comedic sitcom.