Production halted on The Witches remake after stabbing on-set

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Looks like director Robert Zemeckis' upcoming re-adaptation of Ronald Dahl's kid horror book THE WITCHES starring Anne Hathaway has been shut down for the time being. The shutdown is evidently the result of a crew member working on the UK production getting stabbed Wednesday afternoon in a confrontation with a co-worker.

Production was taking place at Warner Bros. Studios stages in Leavesden, Hertfordshire when a fight broke out between a rigger and a stagehand. One man sustained a neck injury and was taken to hospital by ambulance. While a second man was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and has since been released on bond and due back in court July 17. It is believed the men are known to each other. 

There were approximately 100 people on set when the incident occurred. It is not apparent that any of the pic’s cast members, which include stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci witnessed the stabbing. We'll make sure to keep you guys up to date on this story as it progress and production gets back underway of THE WITCHES.

In addition to helming this new take on Dahl's story, Zemeckis is also penning the screenplay along with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris. Zemeckis says he is trying to stay closer to the source material than Nicolas Roeg's original adaptation did… but Zemeckis's take has already been confirmed to take place in an all-new setting than Dahl's novel. Dahl's 1983 story was set in then-present day Norway and England and Zemeckis' version is moving the action to take place in the southern U.S. in the 1960s. The book followed the tale of: 

A young boy named Luke who, while staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga, inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch reveals a plan to turn all children into mice through a magical formula. When they find that Luke has overheard, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of Helga and the hotel manager, Mr. Stringer, Luke the mouse must fight back against the witches.

Anne Hathaway is set to play the Grand High Witch, with newcomers Jahzir Bruno and Codie-Lei Eastick playing boys who have run-ins with witches. Octavia Spencer will co-star as the grandmother of Bruno's character. Zemeckis and Jack Rapke are producing THE WITCHES through their company ImageMovers, along with Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron. THE WITCHES is set to reach theatres on October 16, 2020.