Fans are buzzing about the upcoming remakes of the two classic TV shows and the one iconic movie, with the Charmed and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina reboots due to be released this month, while a release date is yet to be announced for the remake of the 1993 classic spooky comedy Hocus Pocus. All three are either rumoured or confirmed to be starring queer witches!
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will feature non-binary character Susie Putnam, played by actor Lachlan Watson, who, like their character, uses them/they pronouns. Susie is one of the founders of a new Wicca club at Baxter High, which they attend with Sabrina in the TV adaption of the comics of the same name.
Commenting on the importance of non-binary representation, Watson told Syfy Wire, “I dived in head first and some of the conversations were just about my thoughts on gender and my personal life and my transition, very strange transition as it was and kind of the person that I’ve become.”
The show will also feature pansexual warlock Ambrose Spellman, Sabrina’s cousin in the hotly-anticipated dark reboot.
A character bio describes Ambrose as “witty, puckish, and pan-sexual, he is one of Sabrina’s partners in crime, always up for mischief.”
The role will be played by Chance Perdomo, who is slated to be a series regular.
Fans are also excited to be introduced to the lesbian characters confirmed to be in the highly-anticipated Charmed reboot. The CW, the network behind both TV remakes, dubbed the older sister Mel as a “strong-willed feminist lesbian,” whose girlfriend, Soo Jin, is a police detective in the show.
Some Twitter users were critical of the show’s intentions when writing in the queer characters.
Another reason why I'm boycotting the #CharmedReboot: they're making one of the sisters a lesbian, AS. A. HOOK. FFS, if you're going to make a character #LGBTQ, it should "come out" naturally & she should be described as any human being- not try to hook watchers straight off.
— ? Sarah V. ? (@PhoenixPixie33) February 10, 2018
Although others were excited about the inclusion of the queer witches.
y’all better not sleep on the charmed reboot !! i know you might be annoyed that no original cast members are in it but the three main characters (the sisters) are all latina !!! and one of them is a lesbian !!! get behind this representation PLEASE!!!
— mollyween ? (@Igbtarias) May 12, 2018
How to do diversity in a reboot? Like the Charmed movie is doing, casting the three leads and heroines as Brown and Black women, making one of the leads and heroines a Lesbian, letting the "diverse" characters be the stars and the heroes of the narrative.
— #AbortoLegalYa ? (@nosabernombrar) March 17, 2018
Me: I don’t think the Charmed reboot is worth my time.
Charmed reboot: *makes main character lesbian*
Me: I’m in.— Ciara Pitts (@CiaraNPitts) February 7, 2018
And finally, there is much excitement around the Hocus Pocus remake, and especially around the lesbian love story that is slated to be featured.
The original followed three witches played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi, and 25 years after the cult-classic was released, a remake is in production which is rumoured to feature a love story between the two characters Isabella and Poppy. Fans are speculating that the reboot will be released on the Disney Channel in the next few months.
Although the queer romance has not yet been confirmed to be featured in the movie remake, an excerpt from the book details the blossoming romance between the two characters:
Isabella gives me a smile that makes my stomach flip a little. “There’s no way I’d leave you hanging.”
“It’s not fair that you’re so nice.” I take another piece of pizza. “People aren’t supposed to be smart and popular and nice. What’s your weakness, Isabella Richards?”
Her smile flags a little, and for a second she looks mystified — but then it’s gone. “Halloween candy,” she says, matter-of-factly, then grins and takes another sip of soda.
Queer representation seems to be a new trend for Disney, as it was reported that Jack Whitehall will play an openly gay character in the forthcoming action adventure The Jungle Cruise and will star alongside Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson.
© 2018 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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