Magic in cinema, as in literature, has always been omnipresent as text or context. Although far from being as frequent a theme as romance, there are a significant number of magic movies, in which wizards, sorcerers or witches take part.
Magic movies can be divided into two: the sagas of Harry Potter y The lords of the rings on the one hand, the others on the other.
First Classics
They are not chronologically the first films that brought magic to the big screen, but they are three of the longest lasting.
The Wizard of Oz by Victor Fleming (1939)
Cult film, listed by UNESCO as Memory of the World and one of the best films of all time. It was a notable box office failure upon release. Every self-respecting movie buff should see this work of art at least once in their life.
Fantasía (1940)
La Walt Disney's most experimental work while he was in charge of the emporium he founded. Like The Wizard of Oz, was not economically profitable at the time, among other reasons because its exhibition in Europe was cut short by the Second World War.
The best known segment of the film is The Sorcerer's Apprentice, based on the poem composed by Goethe and set to music by the French composer Paul Dukas.
Mary Poppins by Robert Stevenson (1964)
Another film that the legendary Walt Disney took as a personal challenge. One of the most acclaimed movies of all time, turned into an obligatory reference for many later cinematographic directors.
The great sagas
Harry Potter
The world's most famous new wizard (settling the old debate about whether he was Merlin or Mandrake) is also one of the most important characters in contemporary popular culture.
Four directors (Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and David Yates) they directed eight films between 2001 and 2011, all with collection records and excellent critical reception.
The "Pottermania" is far from disappearing. Is currently launching a new trilogy Fantastic animals and where to find them. This project is a kind of prequel to the original Harry Potter stories. The first installment was released in 2016, directed by David Yates (director of the last four installments of the "original" Potter saga) and starring Eddie Redmayne.
The Lord of the Rings
The first film of this trilogy based on the stories of the British writer JRR Tolkien, it debuted in 2001, the same year that “Pottermania” began in theaters.
The New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson was commissioned to visually shape the world of the Midlands. The cast was a mix of acting legends with some prominent young figures. Among them, Elijah Wood, Christopher Lee, Viggo Mortesen, Liv Tyler, Iam Holm, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Karl Urban, among many others.
Between 2012 and 2014 an additional trilogy would be released, The hobit, directed by Jackson himself (originally it was planned that the Mexican Guillermo del Toro would take over the project) and with the same box office and public success as the original saga.
Narnia
Disney wanted to establish its own magical-fantasy movie saga and teamed up with Walden Media to bring the series of books written by British writer CS Lewis to the big screen, but the experiment was not entirely successful.
In 2005 it was released The lion, the witch and the wardrobe resulting in an overwhelming box office and critically acclaimed success. Yet three more years afternoon Prince caspian did not meet economic expectations. Mickey Mouse's heirs abandoned the project.
In 2010, now with FOX as a production house, it would be released The Dawn Treader, a film that did not manage to generate much interest in the public either.
For some time the rumor of a possible reboot of this film franchise has been heard, although at the moment there is nothing concrete.
"Intellectual" films
In recent years, some reputable filmmakers have opted for films about magic, with very outstanding results.
Christopher Nolan directed in 2006 The prestige, film that narrates the battle between two rival theater magicians in London de late nineteenth century.
Woody Allen presented his comedy in 2014 Magic in the moonlight, where love turns out to be the strongest magical force in the universe.
Before, in 2003, Tim Burton would premiere The big fish, a film in which the "real" and the "fantastic" form an indivisible nucleus, impossible to separate.
Finally, Guillermo del Toro directed the co-production between Mexico and Spain Pan's Labyrinth, one of the most acclaimed films of the XNUMXst century.
Modern versions
When Hollywood is running out of ideas, it's time for remakes. Among the most prominent are Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton (2010) and Oz a world of fantasy by Sam Raimi (2013).
For 2018 the premiere of Marry Poppins Returns, in which British actress Emily Blunt will report to director Rob Marshall (Chicago), to "refresh" this old story.
Other magical movies
Now you see Me by Louis Leterrier (2013). A group of seemingly altruistic magicians rob the powerful and distribute the money to their audience. Surprising blockbuster that had a sequel in 2016.
The ilusionist by Neil Burger (2006). Edward Norton and Jessica Beil star in a story of tricks and deceptions, in which a magician appeals to his best repertoire in order to be with the woman he loves.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Jon Turteltaub (2010). Nicolas Cage plays a modern, scruffy wizard Merlin, who must teach a less than promising apprentice (Jay Baruchel) everything he tastes like before one of his old students (Alfred Molina) ends the world.
Willow by Ron Howard (1988). Written by George Lucas himself, who originally had in mind to bring the story of The Hobit. He failed in his attempt to acquire the rights.
The magic Nanny by Kirk Jones (2005). Unfairly compared to the more popular Mary Poppins. Emma Thopsom plays an ugly babysitter that comes to educate the children of a dysfunctional family using magic.
Frozen the ice kingdom by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (2013). Listed within Disney's Animated Classics, it is one of the most successful films of recent times. Adaptation of the fairy tale written by Hans Cristian Andersen The queen of the snow.
Image sources: La Patilla / Cinema PREMIERE / Psychology and Mind