Director Nicolas Roeg’s iconic 1990 dark fantasy film 1983 novel by Roald Dahl of the same name began as early as the late-2000s but the project was abandoned until June of 2018. As of June 2020, the film is close to completion and is set to release in 2021. Here is everything we know about The Witches remake so far.
The release date for The Witches was set for October of 2020, but due to COVID-19 concerns and the mass closures of theaters across the world, it has been postponed for 2021. Presumably, the film is complete and is awaiting the opportune moment to release to the masses given the fact that it already had a release date. The Witches reboot was likely bumped with many other delayed 2020 horror movies and is awaiting a new slot on 2021's highly competitive schedule.
The 1990 film starts Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch who is holding a meeting at the hotel where Luke Eveshim (Jasen Fisher) and his grandmother, Helga Eveshim (Mai Zetterling), go on vacation. Luke befriends a boy named Bruno Jenkins (Charlie Potter), but when the two discover the ballroom full of horrific witches, they are turned into mice. This leads to them being chased through the hotel by the witches, who are revealed to have a deep-seated hatred for children. The film was critically well-received, and is considered a classic dark fantasy movie for children. The 2021 version of The Witches is taking an entirely different route from its predecessor, making it a highly-anticipated remake.
The Witches Reboot Writers & Director
When interest for a remake of the 1990 film emerged in 2018, it was announced that Guillermo del Toro and Kenya Barris, writer of Girls Trip (2017), co-wrote the screenplay. The combination of these talented writers ensures that The Witches will include nuanced comedy and a wealth of fantastical elements.
The Witches Reboot Cast Information
The cast of The Witches remake is star-studded and impressive. Octavia Spencer will play the grandmother of the main protagonist currently credited as “The Boy”, Jahzir Kadeem Bruno. Stanley Tucci is set to play Mr. Stringer, and Chris Rock will be in the film as well; his character has yet to be announced as of July 2020. The Witches cast is near perfection when considering the new film’s plot and setting.
The Witches Reboot Plot
The Witches remake is set in 1960s Alabama and will likely follow the same story told in both the novel and the original movie. This shift in setting alone is monumental, as the two original sources are set in 1980s England and follow a young white boy as he takes on the Grand High Witch. Jahzir Kadeem Bruno is a young Black boy who will portray the main protagonist during the Jim Crow era of the 1960s. While it has not been confirmed, the cast and setting allude to the possibility that the remake will include deeply nuanced conversations on racism in the United States during that pivotal stage of the country's history. Presumably, the writers will keep the framework of the original sources, but create an all new understanding of the Grand High Witch and her evils.
As of July 2020, updates on The Witches remake have been few and far between. They have yet to solidify a release date nor have they distributed a trailer. In the months, audiences and critics are bound to see a wealth of new information regarding The Witches reboot.
