Hollywood's Magic Castle, Home Of The Academy Of Magical Arts, Is Conjuring Up A Movie

Don't confuse this with Magic Kingdom, Disney's Night at the Museum-style film in which a Disney theme park comes to life at night. No, Magic Castle — or whatever this film may be called — is based on a private nightclub in Hollywood housed in a century-old building (old for LA standards!) that hosts magicians and their guests. The Franklin Ave. mansion houses the headquarters of the Academy of Magical Arts Inc. and "serves as a nightclub and performance space for magicians."

Now the company that runs the club has signed with CAA and is looking to promote the club's identity in TV, film, video games, and other media. And so Ted Field (Arachnophobia, Jumanji, Cocktail) and Radar Pictures are developing a film around the club.

THR doesn't offer any info on what direction the film might take, but the club's website describes it in a fashion that suggests the location could easily house a mystery or thriller (duh) as well as a film oriented around the club's identity as the home of a magical academy. Choice is, should the movie be for kids, or adults? (Both, ideally, from a financial perspective, which means we could get an attempt at a storyline that plays like a real-life Harry Potter tale.)

 The Magic Castle is the private clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc, a very special organization devoted to the advancement of the ancient art of magic. The purpose of The Academy is to encourage and promote public interest in the art of magic with particular emphasis on preserving its history as an art form, entertainment medium, and hobby. Beginning with a charter membership of 150, the Academy has grown into a world-renowned fraternal organization with a membership of nearly 5,000.