Growing up, I would always notice the Witchcraft movies sitting on the shelves of my local video stores. I was intrigued by them and the fact that this horror franchise was steadily pumping out sequels, but I never rented them. It wasn’t until 2011 that I spent thirteen weeks viewing my way through the entire series, one installment a week… and that was quite an experience, as this is one crazy series. In 2016, the franchise grew by three more sequels, with parts 14, 15, and 16 being filmed back-to-back-to-back. Last year, Witchcraft XVII: The Initiation made its way out into the world – and now, it has come to our attention that the eighteenth film in the franchise is already on the way! This one is called Witchcraft: The Lanterne of Light, and the cast includes Lisa Wilcox of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and reality TV icon and media personality Kato Kaelin.
What is Witchcraft: The Lanterne of Light about?
This is said to be a paranormal found-footage installment in the franchise, made with the intention of reintroducing Witchcraft with a more grounded, atmospheric approach. The story centers on a paranormal investigation team documenting the legend of The Children of the Hollow, a pagan cult rooted in North Carolina folklore, as their search for answers leads them into increasingly dangerous territory.
Wilcox takes on the role of Detective Garner, “a woman already scarred by years of horrifying investigations tied to disappearances, ritualistic murders, and secrets that were never meant to resurface. The deeper the crew digs, the more they realize Garner may know far more about the nightmare awaiting them than she’s willing to admit.“
Kaelin will be playing the host of “a live special edition of Murder in a Minute, a late-night true crime broadcast that airs the recovered footage connected to the mysterious disappearance of William Spanner, Keli Jordan, and the rest of the team from the television series Unmasking the Paranormal. Neither Kaelin nor the viewers watching the broadcast have ever seen the footage before, causing the terror and reactions unfolding throughout the film to happen completely in real time. As the broadcast continues, what begins as a sensationalized exposé quickly spirals into something far more disturbing. The recovered footage reveals the existence of The Children of the Hollow, a brutal cult tied to an ancient cursed lantern known as The Lanterne of Light. Strange interruptions and increasingly panicked reactions from viewers blur the line between entertainment and genuine supernatural terror.“
Also in the cast are
- Andrew Pierson (A Soldier’s Descent)
- Kristina Lafser (The Last Sleepover)
- Former Studio 54 DJ Rockin Ronnie
- Sandy Johnson, best known for playing Judith Myers in the original Halloween
The film is being directed by Carissa Pierson, who had this to say about some of the cast members: “Rockin Ronnie brings a presence you can’t manufacture. There’s a lived-in authenticity to him that immediately adds texture to the world we’re building. The Lanterne of Light is about atmosphere, about history bleeding into the present—and his energy fits right into that.
Lisa Wilcox is someone I grew up watching and admiring as a horror fan, so having her become part of Witchcraft: The Lanterne of Light is honestly surreal. She brings strength, emotion, and authenticity to Detective Garner in a way that elevates the entire film. Fans are going to see a darker, more psychological side of horror with this story, and Lisa fits perfectly into that world.
We wanted the audience to feel like they’re watching something they were never supposed to see. Kato’s role brings an unsettling realism to the film because the horror is unfolding live in front of everyone. It turns the audience into part of the experience.“
Have you seen the previous entries in this franchise, and are you interested in watching another Witchcraft sequel? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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