Voodoo is essentially a mixture of traditional african religion melded into a new form when africans had to hide their religion when in America.
It haile from the african Yoruba/Ifa religion as well as the larger Vodun religion.
When africans were brought over as slaves, they were forced to give up their religion so they hid it under the guise of Christianity. This is primarily the origin of Haitian and American/Louisiana voodoo, as well as other variants such as Santeria. All offshots of the same thing with minor cultural differences
As for Hollywood, it’s Hollywood. Witch doctors and shamans do exist in all of africa as well as around the world and in voodoo, but it’s not as dark and foreboding and sinister as the movies portray it.
I have personally yet to see a film that portrays voodoo in an accurate let alone good way. Why does Hollywood do this? Because
Most Americans (being white) are unfamiliar with voodoo to know what they are seeing is bullshit.
if it sounds scary and foreign enough then it will work for a horror movie. Voodoo has a lot of spirits and symbols and any random voodoo ritual can look frightening if u don’t actually know what ur looking
The voodoo doll concept I actually a European form of magic. It is NOW apart of some magical practices in hoodoo and voodoo but didn’t originate with it