Roald Dahl was a Welsh novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter and wartime fighter pilot. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. He has been referred to as one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century. He is best known for “James and the Giant Peach,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” “The Witches,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “The BFG.” “The Witches” features the experiences of a young British boy and his Norwegian grandmother in a world where child-hating societies of witches secretly exist in every country. The second feature-length adaptation of the novel stars Ann Hathaway, Octavia Spencer and Stanley Tucci and is directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis, Kenya Barris and Guillermo del Toro. It will be available for streaming on HBO Max on October 22 with a theatrical release in selected theaters on October 28.
“The Witches” is set in Norway and in the United Kingdom where the witches are ruled by the extremely vicious and powerful Grand High Witch. An unnamed seven-year-old English boy goes to live with his Norwegian grandmother after his parents are killed in a tragic car accident. The boy loves to listen to his grandmother’s stories, especially the ones about real witches. According to her, witches are horrific creatures who are out to kill human children and tells the boy how to recognize them. The Grand High Witch has just arrived in England to organize her worst plot ever but when the grandmother, a self-professed former witch hunter, and her young grandson find out about her evil plan, they must work together to defeat the witches.
SA Examiner 