Anthology 7 Magpies written/directed by African-American females

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

We've previously reported on XX, a horror anthology comprised of four segments directed by four female directors (Jennifer Lynch, Mary Harron, Karyn Kusama, and Jovanka Vickovic), now comes word that there's another female-driven horror anthology in the works, and this one has its own unique approach.

7 MAGPIES will be made up of seven "haunting, unforgettable supernatural horror shorts", each written by an African-American female, each brought to the screen by an African-American female director.

Created by L.C. Cruell in reaction to the fact that no African-American female directors have been asked to contribute to any of the recent horror anthologies and inspired by the nursery rhyme "One for Sorrow", 7 MAGPIES has the following description:

Ancient superstitions in many cultures have considered magpies to be a bird of ill omen. According to one old superstition, the number of magpies one sees determines if one will have bad luck or not.

7 Magpies
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth,
Three for a wedding,
Four for a birth,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told

The anthology's writers include Tananarive Due, Linda D. Addison, Eden Royce, Crystal Connor, Vanjeanne Jeffers,  Sumiko Saulson, and Paula Ashe, with Cruell handling the wraparound. The directors are Cruell, Tiffany D. Jackson,  Nicole Renee Simmons, Lary Love Dolley, R. Shanea Williams, Meosha Bean, and Rae Dawn Chong.

Chong has some previous anthology experience, as the actress/director appeared in 1990's TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE.

This sounds like a great project, one I'm looking forward to seeing come to fruition. I like the idea of artists who feel like their talents are being overlooked taking the initiative to show the world what they're made of.

Rae Dawn Chong