It has been confirmed that Anne Hathaway will star as the Grand High Witch in Robert Zemeckis and Warner Bros. adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches.’ The iconic role was originated by Anjelica Huston in the 1990 film.
Based on the 1973 novel of the same name, the film follows a 7-year-old boy who has a run-in with a gang of child-hating witches. Sources close to the project say Zemeckis’ version will more closely follow the novel, while the 1990 version of the film was very loosely based on the source material. According to Zemeckis, the boy at the center of the film and his grandmother will travel 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.”
In addition to directing, Zemeckis will also pen the script as well as produce with his partner Jack Rapke through their banner ImageMovers, along with Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo del Toro.
Fans are definitely here for Hathaway as the Grand High Witch! Many took to social media to express their happiness over the news. One fan compared the news to a new social media trend, saying:
“Now this is the ultimate #10yearchallenge challenge. Anne Hathaway has gone from Queen of Genovia to Queen of the Witches in #TheWitches remake!”
Now this is the ultimate #10yearchallenge challenge.
Anne Hathaway has gone from Queen of Genovia to Queen of the Witches in #TheWitches remake! 😍👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/vEE7J6lFsy— mildred fierce (@itsryanithink) January 16, 2019
While there is no set release date for ‘The Witches’ remake, fans can catch Hathaway in the upcoming thriller ‘Serenity’ and the comedy ‘The Hustle.’ She recently wrapped production on the Netflix drama ‘The Last Thing He Wanted.’
