One of the most unsettling psychological horror films of the late 1970s is getting a major home video upgrade. Scream Factory has officially announced that Richard Attenborough’s Magic (1978), starring Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter, and David Ogden Stiers, will be released on 4K Ultra HD on October 6.
The announcement comes just three months after it was revealed that Sam Raimi will direct a new adaptation of Magic for Lionsgate, making this an ideal time for horror fans to revisit the original film that inspired the upcoming remake. Raimi’s version will be based on William Goldman’s novel, with Friday the 13th (2009) and Freddy vs. Jason writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon handling the screenplay. Roy Lee, Chris Hammond, Tim Sullivan, Zainab Azizi, and Raimi are producing the project.
Originally released in 1978, Magic earned praise for Anthony Hopkins’ unnerving performance years before he became synonymous with psychological horror through The Silence of the Lambs. Directed by Academy Award winner Richard Attenborough from a screenplay by William Goldman (based on his own novel), the film is known as one of the genre’s most effective ventriloquist dummy nightmares.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Corky (Anthony Hopkins), a failed magician, adopts a new ventriloquist act with an abrasive dummy named Fats, and suddenly finds himself lined up for a television show. When the unbalanced Corky fears he won’t pass the required mental exam, he runs away with Fats to his hometown, where he meets an old love from high school, Peggy (Ann-Margret). Corky persuades Peggy to leave her loveless marriage — but Fats, who seems to be taking on a mind of his own, doesn’t approve of the relationship?
Magic (1978) 4K Blu-ray special features
Disc One – 4K Ultra HD
- NEW 4K restoration from the original camera negative
- NEW audio commentary with film critic Drew McWeeny (2026)
- NEW audio commentary with film critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham (2026)
- Optional English subtitles
Disc Two – Blu-ray
- NEW 4K restoration from the original camera negative
- NEW audio commentary with film critic Drew McWeeny (2026)
- NEW audio commentary with film critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham (2026)
- Radio interview with Anthony Hopkins
- Ann-Margret make-up test
- Original theatrical trailer
- TV spots
- Radio spots
- Optional English subtitles
With Raimi now officially attached to direct a new adaptation, interest in Magic is likely to surge over the coming months. Scream Factory’s new 4K restoration offers the perfect opportunity to revisit this tense psychological thriller.
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