It looks like Halloween 2020 plans are covered. HBO Max has unveiled the first trailer for Warner Bros.’ adaptation of The Witches, starring Anne Hathaway, which will be heading to HBO Max just in time for the spookiest of holidays.
HBO Max revealed on Twitter this morning that The Witches, based on the terrifying children’s novel by Roald Dahl, would be heading straight to the streaming platform on October 22 instead of getting a theatrical release as previously planned. As we can see in the first trailer, it promises a deliciously decadent coven getting ready for evil—with Hathaway sporting a ridiculously over-the-top accent.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis—co-written by Guillermo del Toro, Kenya Barris, and Zemeckis—this new version stars Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Chris Rock, Stanley Tucci, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jahzir Kadeem Bruno in a story about a group of evil witches who’ve gathered at a seaside resort to do some seriously awful shit. The previous adaptation is an absolutely classic. It was directed by Nicolas Roeg and starred Anjelica Houston who scarred a generation of children. Do we think this new one could follow suit?
The movie was originally scheduled for an October 9 theatrical release but had been removed from the schedule because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. There were hopes that the cinematic debut of Tenet could signify a return to cinematic normalcy, but those were seriously misguided (who could’ve guessed). Tenet’s box office disappointment has led several studios to rethink their schedules—including Warner Bros., which moved Wonder Woman 1984 once again to December 25 and Dune could eventually follow suit.
The Witches debuts on HBO Max October 22.
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