1990’s The Witches is a dark fantasy film, based on the 1983 Roald Dahl novel of the same name. The story, which is based on Dahl’s childhood experiences, centers on a boy and his Norwegian grandmother who discover a coven of witches, led by the Grand High Witch, who wanted to turn children into mice.
The film was not an immediate success but, like many Dahl adaptations, became a cult classic. Its appreciation is felt more by audiences when knowing about its fascinating stories upon making it. So, before tuning in to the latest Witches adaptation, unravel these behind-the-scenes facts.
Casting of the Grand High Witch
Anjelica Huston is outstanding as the Grand High Witch, one of Roald Dahl’s most notable villains. Her convincing German accent, over-the-top flair, and prominent cheekiness added an extra layer to an already wicked character. However, Huston was not the only actress considered for the role.
Among those considered are Helen Mirren, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Blair, Jodie Foster, Liza Minnelli and Cher. Dahl approved of Huston’s casting, and during shooting, Huston’s then-boyfriend Jack Nicholson would send flowers on set. Interestingly, Nicholson previously starred in another dark fantasy, The Witches of Eastwick.
Rowan Atkinson’s Equipment Accident
Much of the film was shot in the Headland Hotel, which also served as the place of stay for the cast and crew. During shooting, Rowan Atkinson left bath taps running in his room. The subsequent flood poured to the technical equipment below, damaging them.
The calamity was straight out of a Mr. Bean episode. And it just so happens that the Mr. Bean TV series premiered on the same year as The Witches’ release. Though, that character had been around since the late 70’s. So, Atkinson might have been on-character.
The Witch Extras
Almost half of the actors in the film are comprised of the witches attending a convention, held by the Grand High Witch. They are also needed in the sequences taking place in the hotel lobby and the dining hall, so the casting crew became inventive.
Many of the extras are actually bald men, which is helpful to lessen the intricate witch prosthetics and apply them on the prominent actresses playing the witches. Watch this out on the sequence when the witches remove their lady disguises and wigs in the convention.
Three Sizes for the Mice Puppets
Jim Henson and his production studio are heavily involved in the making of this film, from the prosthetics to the mice puppetry. For the latter, three distinct mice puppets varying in sizes, are used to create convincing mice versions of Luke Eveshim and Bruno Jenkins.
The first mice figures were scaled to that of actual mice; the second ones were about the size of large rats, and the third were the sizes of large hand puppets, akin to the Muppets. The largest puppet mice were used sparingly for mice close-ups.
Director Nicolas Roeg Prescreening To His Kids
To capture the Dahl horror factor of the movie, director Nicolas Roeg (of Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth) showed the original cut to his young son to see how it fares to young viewers. The latter became very frightened that he hid behind the television.
In response, Roeg edited out several scenes to tone it down and make it family-friendly, but it still does not stop the final product from becoming a legitimately scary fantasy for children. Although, the toning down will become an “ending” problem.
Anjelica Huston’s Lengthy Makeup Transformation
One of the best elements of the movie is the intricate makeup for the witches. This is exemplified on the evil Grand High Witch. Anjelica Huston’s makeup took six-to-seven hours to apply and additional five-to-six hours to remove. This is despite Huston’s initial hesitations doing a role that requires makeup.
The Grand High Witch’s prosthetics is comprised of a full face mask, a back hump, mechanized claws, and a waned collarbone, plus a large snout during her mouse transformation. The end result is an extremely horrifying character for young audiences.
Release Date Delayed
Production studio Lorimar initially set to release The Witches in 1989. However, its theatrical division folded into Warner Bros. Pictures. The latter studio acquired the distribution for the film, but it took more than a year after production to officially release the film to theaters.
The Witches opened on the 24th of August 1990 as a summer release. Thus, it became one of those cases of a finished film sitting on the shelf till its proper release. Coincidentally, a similar problem happened to this year’s The Witches for obvious reasons.
Betting Against Two Endings
On its book-to-film changes, the most notorious of which is the ending. Nicolas Roeg provided two versions of the movie’s conclusion to be evaluated by test audiences: Dahl’s original version where Luke stays as a mouse and a happier version where he returns to normal.
Dahl watched the version with his original ending and was moved to tears. However, the happier ending was chosen, with Roeg giving his approval. It fits Roeg’s intention on making a family-friendlier version since the original ending implies of the boy’s lifespan as a mouse.
Roald Dahl Wanting To Be Discredited
Because of the changed ending and several parts of the film, an appalled Roald Dahl took offense on the finished product and demanded that his name be removed from the credits and promotional materials. He even threatened to launch a negative campaign against the film.
However, Jim Henson convinced Dahl to withdraw his threat, which he reluctantly did. It was not the first time that Dahl opposed an adaptation of his work since he disowned Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Because of this, Dahl’s estate raised high standards on adapting his works to film.
Last Project For Many Figures
Suddenly, The Witches became the final project for several figures in front and behind the camera. Swedish actress Mai Zetterling, who played Grandma Helga, would have her last role for an English-language film here before she passed in 1994. But the most notable are its two fiercest warriors behind it all.
The film became Jim Henson’s last project before he died on the same year, three months before the film’s official release. Likewise, this is the last film under Dahl’s supervision before he died in the 23rd of November 1990. Glorious they left endearing legacies.