The Witches (2021 film)

Talks of a new adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel of 1983, The Witches, began in December 2008, when Guillermo del Toro expressed interest in making a stop motion film.[2] No further developments on the potential project emerged until ten years later in June 2018, when Robert Zemeckis was hired to direct and write the script. Del Toro would produce, alongside Zemeckis and Alfonso Cuarón, in addition to having a screenplay credit.

It was described by Zemeckis as being closer to the original novel than the version of 1990, directed by Nicolas Roeg.[3] Kenya Barris will co write the film, which was revealed as taking place in Alabama during the 1960s, instead of the novel's 1980s England, and that the boy protagonist (originally an English child of Norwegian descent in the novel) is to be played by an African American actor.[4]

In January 2019, Anne Hathaway was cast in the role of Grand High Witch.[5] Octavia Spencer was cast in February, with newcomers Jahzir Bruno and Codie-Lei Eastick also joining.[6] In May, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock were added.[7]

Principal photography began on May 8, 2019, with filming locations including Alabama, Georgia and at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England and Virginia Water Lake in Surrey, England. It was expected to wrap on June 25.[8][7][9] On June 19, a crew member was stabbed in the neck on the Warner Bros. Studios set in Leavesden.[10]