Roald Dahl's The Witches

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Sotiris
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Roald Dahl's The Witches

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Robert Zemeckis is in final negotiations to direct Warner Bros.' adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book “The Witches,” studio sources tell Variety. Sources say a deal is expected shortly. Zemeckis will also pen the script, with his partner Jack Rapke producing through their banner ImageMovers, along with Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo del Toro. Del Tor had long been attached to direct, but a scheduling conflict led the Oscar winner to vacate the director’s chair.

Based on the 1973 novel, the film follows a seven-year-old boy who has a run in with real-life witches. Warner Bros. had previously adapted the book in 1990 with Anjelica Huston playing one of the title characters, but sources close to the project say Zemeckis' version will be more rooted in the original source material, while the Huston pic was a loose adaptation.
Source: https://variety.com/2018/film/news/robe ... 202851650/
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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OMG, I'm so excited for this. Del Toro's involved, too! I always loved this book growing up. The original film didn't fit my picture of the book exactly--the grandmother especially was nothing like I envisioned. Although the book seems to be mostly the grandmother talking and talking and talking for the first half at least.

I really wouldn't mind if Anjelica Huston had a role in this (even if not the same one). She was the only bright spot of the first adaptation and being old isn't exactly something that would disqualify you from playing a witch. :lol:
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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OMG, I wish this wouldn't be a family movie so that the Grand High Witch would look truly horrific (Ridley Scott-Alien style) when she takes off her mask. :drool:
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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This is amazing news! I love witches and this is right up my alley. I loved the first adaptation. I actually can't remember if I read the book or just heard it read in school, or read parts of it. Honestly I don't see how I can't even remember.

Anjelica Huston is too old to play the pretty Grand High Witch now. She had to look like 30's-50's and pretty with her mask on and now she's just too old.

The Grand High Witch did look horrific in the first adaptation!
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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Disney Duster wrote:The Grand High Witch did look horrific in the first adaptation!
I was going to say that, too! Still gives me the creeps just thinking about it, and I haven't seen the movie since I was a kid.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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New details about the remake have surfaced.
Omega Underground has exclusively uncovered some character and plot details for Warner Bros. remake of the 1990 film The Witches, which was based on the Roald Dahl novel. It was announced over the summer that director Robert Zemeckis (Back To The Future, Forest Gump) would be replacing Guillermo del Toro as the director on the film. The film’s script was penned by Zemeckis and Kenya Barris.

It seems that the remake will take more of an American spin than the original film, which had been set mostly in the UK. The bulk of the film will be taking place in the American South, mainly, Alabama.

Here is the plot synopsis for the remake.

"When his parents are killed, a young boy goes to live with his feisty, loving grandma, who had a terrifying encounter with witches when she was just a girl. When Grandma realizes that the witches have returned, she flees with the Boy to the swankiest resort in the South — only to realize that they’ve wandered right into a nest of witches, headed by the Grand High Witch, who intends to transform the world’s children into mice — starting with the Boy…"

Concerning character/casting details, Warner Bros. is aiming to cast a young 8-10-year-old African-American actor to play the leading role of Luke, but they aren’t calling the role Luke (could be altered depending on the casting). Bruno will be making a comeback and pet mouse Daisy will actually be a young girl that had been previously turned into a mouse by a witch. It’s also expected that the Grandmother role is mostly going to an older African-American actress.

Filming is said to be starting up next April in the United Kingdom. It’s assumed that they’ll be using the stages at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England, where the studio has shot most of their Wizarding World movies. We’ve also exclusively learned a portion of the filming will also take place stateside as well, although a state has yet to be named. Southern states such as Georgia and Louisiana are good bets to make.
Source: https://thegww.com/exclusive-robert-zem ... male-lead/
Omega Underground has a new plot detail to share about Robert Zemeckis’ remake of The Witches which will be taking place in Alabama instead of the United Kingdom. The era of the film will be taking place during the year 1969. We’ve also learned that the young actors cast the main three roles will be doing motion capture for their mice scenes.
Source: https://thegww.com/exclusive-wbs-the-wi ... ring-1969/
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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I thought this was supposed to be more like the original book. Oh well, I like that they are having the actors perform mo-cap for the mice.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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I could really see Helena Bonham Carter as the granny from their description of her there :lol:
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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Young actors for three main roles? What? Is there a third kid in this? Seeing as how originally the boy (Luke in the original movie) and Bruno were the ones who got turned into mice? Boy. If Dahl hated what Nicholas Roeg did, imagine how he would have felt about this.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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Anne Hathaway to Star in Robert Zemeckis’ ‘The Witches’
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/anne ... 203109856/

‘The Witches’ Remake Starring Anne Hathaway Set for October 2020 Release Date
https://www.thewrap.com/the-witches-rem ... ease-date/

Robert Zemeckis' 'The Witches' Currently Eyeing April 29th Production Start in Georgia & Alabama
https://thegww.com/exclusive-robert-zem ... a-alabama/
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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So Octavia Spencer's playing the grandmother. She and Hathaway will do great.

And, to quote myself,
Disney's Divinity wrote: I really wouldn't mind if Anjelica Huston had a role in this (even if not the same one). She was the only bright spot of the first adaptation and being old isn't exactly something that would disqualify you from playing a witch. :lol:
I still hope she might be given a role, as a witch in the background or a cameo or something.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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The movie got a new release date. It's now going to be released on October 09, 2020.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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I have read the book, but never seen the movie. To be honest I actually found the book kind of depressing. The boy who was transformed into a mouse was happy that he was probably going to die in just a few years, so he wouldn't be alone when his grandmother died of old age not too far into the future. And his parents were killed in a car accident shortly before the book starts, if I remember correctly. There was also the other boy that was transformed into a mouse, who couldn't stop eating. We learn that his parents probably drowned him in a bucket of water just to get rid of him.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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Rumpelstiltskin wrote:I have read the book, but never seen the movie. To be honest I actually found the book kind of depressing. The boy who was transformed into a mouse was happy that he was probably going to die in just a few years, so he wouldn't be alone when his grandmother died of old age not too far into the future. And his parents were killed in a car accident shortly before the book starts, if I remember correctly. There was also the other boy that was transformed into a mouse, who couldn't stop eating. We learn that his parents probably drowned him in a bucket of water just to get rid of him.
OMG! :shock:
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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The Witches is coming to HBOMax on October 22nd. Previously it was scheduled to open in cinemas next year. I didn’t realize the movie was even finished in production. Personally, I’ve always found this to be one of Dahl’s most disturbing stories so I probably won’t be watching.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/9nlhmJF5FNI
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches (Remake)

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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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Hathaway looks perfect! I'm so looking forward to this. I love Spencer, too.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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Will Anne be as terrifying as Anjelica was, though?! Sigh, another remake, but this looks really good. I don't have HBO Max, but I'm glad it's being distributed somewhere...
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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That snake dress is amazing. I love the relationship between the boy and his grandmother. But Hathaway is being a ham. She's chewing the scenery. She isn't scary. Will she be scary other parts of the film? Hard to believe with what they showed us.
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Re: Roald Dahl's The Witches

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blackcauldron85 wrote:Will Anne be as terrifying as Anjelica was, though?! Sigh, another remake, but this looks really good. I don't have HBO Max, but I'm glad it's being distributed somewhere...
It's not a remake, though. It's another adaptation of the book and one I have long wanted to see, as I was never satisfied with how the 1990 adaptation ended.

As for whether it will be scary, Roald Dahl's children's books certainly had their dark elements, but they were still largely colourful whimsical fantasies. Nicolas Roeg mostly emphasized the horror aspects of "The Witches" in his adaptation and I wonder how much that has clouded people's memories of the original story. I really like what Anne Hathaway appears to be doing here as she seems to have a lot of fun playing up the Grand High Witch's diabolical side. A lot of Roald Dahl villains were over-the-top manifestations of adults, playing up their gross aspects. Miss Trunchbull, the Twits, Aunt Spiker and Sponge and the Grand High Witch were all rather goofy villains, even with their sinister behaviour.
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