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Five Things You (Might) Not Know About ‘The Witches’

Published

5 years ago

November 24, 2018

In 1990, Nicolas Roeg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches burst onto the big screen, terrifying children and delighting their parents. It was one of the largest first-run commercial success the director experienced in his life time (though its box office numbers were not stellar by any means), and as we mourn his passing today, I thought it would be fun to look behind the scenes of this fabulous film.

So, let’s take a look at five things you (might) not know about The Witches!

**#1 The Witches was the last film produced by Lorimar Productions.**

Lorimar Productions was established in the late 1960s, and had produced and/or distributed a number of wildly different films in its two decades of existence. The studio was behind Cruising, An Officer and a Gentleman, and The Postman Always Rings Twice alongside TV series and mini-series such as Stephen King’s IT and Freddy’s Nightmares.

The film was completed in 1989 and set for distribution when the company’s theatrical division was dissolved. Rights for distribution were sold to Warner Bros. but the film still sat on a shelf for almost a year before it was finally released in theaters.

#2 Anjelica Huston was not the first choice to take on the role of the Grand High Witch.

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Anjelica Huston in this role!

As hard as it is to believe, a LOT of other actresses were considered for the role of the devious Grand High Witch in the film.

In fact, over the years rumor has it a number of other actresses were considered for the role from the time of writing and through the casting process. Whether these rumors were based in fact or purely anecdotal doesn’t seem to matter all that much, but reports have tied Vanessa Regrave, Eartha Kitt, Susan Sarandon, Liza Minnelli, Faye Dunaway, Jodie Foster, and even Cher to the casting process.

Any one of these actresses could have no doubt killed the role, but this is one of those instances where you have to ask, “Would they have done it better than Anjelica?”

#3 This was the last film Jim Henson personally oversaw and worked on directly.

(Photo via WikiMedia Commons)

Legendary puppeteer and creature creator, Jim Henson designed three different sets of mouse puppets for The Witches. The smallest were actually mouse-sized with control wires that were said to be hair thin and the largest came in at around three feet in length which Roeg used for a couple of close up shots in the film.

What’s more, it was Henson who convinced Roald Dahl not to condemn the project and remove his name from it when he wrote a letter to the author after hearing of his displeasure.

Sadly, Henson died just days before the film made its UK debut from streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. He was 53 years old. In an odd coincidence Dahl, himself, passed away the same year.

#4 It was never revealed why the witches wanted to rid the world of children.

As baffling as it might sound, and it does if you’re like me and you had it in your head that the reason was spelled out in the film, neither the book nor the film explained exactly why the witches hated children so much.

Was it a lifelong vendetta? Did they just think they were brats? Was it a long game to ensure the human race was wiped out?

Who knows?

Perhaps Roald Dahl knew, but he never explained it in the original text, and Nicolas Roeg, taking his cue from the novel, didn’t get a clear reason either.

#5 As dark as the film is, the book was much darker.

As we’ve seen with so many children’s stories and books adapted for the big screen, the production team really toned down the darkness during the process of adaptation.

Unlike the film, for instance, Luke (who never actually had a name in the book) was never returned to his human form and realizes toward the end that this means his life has been seriously cut short. Mice only live a few years under the best of circumstances, after all, and he has to come to terms with that fact.

It was implied in the book that Bruno aka the other little boy turned into a mouse, was drowned in a bucket of water by a janitor at his father’s insistence which fit into the Grand High Witch’s plan to have all the children killed by unsuspecting teachers, janitors, and parents when they had become mice.

Bonus Fact!

Roald Dahl, as previously mentioned was very displeased with this adaptation. In fact, he was so displeased it’s said that he left instructions in his will that set the standards very high for anyone in the future who might want to adapt his work for film!

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News

Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

Published

20 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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Movies

New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

Published

23 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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News

Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello