Roald Dahl’s beloved story, “The Witches,” is getting a remake and premiering exclusively on HBO Max October 22nd.
The story of evil witches with a hatred for children while masquerading as ordinary women. Is getting remade with Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis at the helm and starring Stanly Tucci, Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Kristen Chenoweth and Chris Rock in the title roles.
First adapted into a film in 1990, “The Witches” starred legendary actress Angelica Houston as Eva Ernst, the “Grand Witch.” Who along with her covin, attend a convention at a Hotel in London, for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. There, unbeknown to the witches, a young boy spies on them and uncovers their plan to turn the children into mice, so that Eva can use them as confectionary products in sweet shops and candy stores.
“The Witches is a wonderful reimagining of Roald Dahl’s classic tale that combines world-class filmmaking with fantastic performances. It’s fun for the whole family and ideal for this time of year,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
Robert Zemeckis’s visually innovative film tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks our young hero away to an opulent seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world’s Grand High Witch has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe—undercover—to carry out her nefarious plans.
“This film, with its stellar cast, is outstanding,” said Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max. “We are thrilled to be able to use our platform to deliver timely, relevant and engaging new content during this time when the theatrical experience is not available to everyone.”
The film will also release in theatres internationally beginning October 28.
