For many millennials, the 1990 film version of The Witches is one of the scariest things ever put in front of our little eyes. Now, nearly thirty years later, we’re going to be getting a whole new version courtesy of Robert Zemeckis. And who will be replacing the sly and enchanting Anjelica Huston? None other than Anne Hathway.
Variety broke the news Hathway would be taking on the role of the Grand High Witch, leader of the witches who wants to kill children. Based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, a young boy named Luke and his grandmother Helga accidentally end up at the same hotel as a conference of witches who are planning new ways to kill children as part of their mission.
Sources close to the project say Zemeckis’ version will be more rooted in the original source material, which actually means it’s going to be even darker than the 1990 movie. Dahl is not known for pulling his punches, so if they are going as close as possible to the story, it might not be suitable for little kids.
I have always found people’s hatred of Anne Hathaway kind of weird. She’s not like Gwyneth Paltrow, who sells garbage on her website and spouts nonsense. Most of her critics call her a “try hard” and a “goodie goodie” but she’s been trying to break out of that role. From her time as the manipulative Daphne in Oceans 8, it seems she’s ready to get even darker. And there’s nothing darker than a hideous witch hiding behind a beautiful facade for the express purpose of killing children. No word yet on the rest of the cast.
There is currently no premiere date for The Witches.
