Robert Zemeckis’ ‘The Witches’ Casts Anne Hathaway

Are you ready for some more witches in your life? Robert Zemeckis has just cast his Grand High Witch in his remake of the classic Roald Dahl book. According to Variety, Anne Hathaway has joined the cast ready to give nightmares to whole new generation of kids, taking the role originally portrayed by Anjelica Huston in the 1990 original. 

Based on the 1973 novel, the film follows a 7-year-old boy who has a run in with real-life witches whilst on holiday with his only living relative, his grandma. The book is dark and filled with nasty deaths and an ending that was too upsetting fro 90’s audiences. Roald Dahl hated the film because of the changes made to give the film a happy ending. Director Nic Roeg shot two endings, one faithful to Dahl’s book, the other stripped of the darker elements. According to Dahl’s second wife and widow Felicity “Liccy” Dahl, Dahl watched both versions.

“Nic Roeg showed us the first ending, and Roald had tears running down his cheeks, he was so pleased,” says Liccy. “But then he showed us the other one, and Roald said: ‘Take my name off this thing. You’ve missed the whole point of the book.’ I’d never seen him so upset.””

The new film will hopefully keep the darker elements in place and Dahl wont be turning in his grave.