The Witches

The Witches - 1989 | 91 mins | Comedy | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Nicolas Roeg.
Producer: Mark Shivas.
Executive Producer: Jim Henson.
Script: Allan Scott. (from the book by Roald Dahl)
Cinematography: Harvey Harrison.
Editing: Tony Lawson.
Art Direction: John King.
Production Design: Andrew Sanders.
Costume Design: Marit Allen.
Makeup Department: Christine Beveridge, Nigel Booth, Tricia Cameron, Sally Harrison, Stephen Norrington and Sally Sutton.
Sound Department: Philip Alton, Rodney Glenn, Derek Holding, Gerry Humphreys, John Salter and Peter Sutton.
Original Music: Stanley Myers.

The Cast

Anjelica Huston - Miss Ernst/Grand High Witch
Mai Zetterling - Helga
Jasen Fisher - Luke
Rowan Atkinson - Mr. Stringer
Bill Paterson - Mr. Jenkins
Brenda Blethyn - Mrs. Jenkins
Charlie Potter - Bruno Jenkins
Anne Lambton - Woman in Black
Jane Horrocks - Miss Irvine

Plot Synopsis

Maverick director Nicolas Roeg's child-oriented fantasy adapted from the fiendish Roald Dahl story casts a big enough spell to snare adults too.

The film begins with young Luke (Jasen Fisher) being warned by his Norwegian grandmother Helga (Mai Zetterling) about witches, how they are not fables, and the various characteristics by which to identify them. Following the death of Luke’s parents in a tragic car accident, his granny takes him to England and together they stop at a seaside hotel run by Mr. Stringer (Rowan Atkinson). While wandering through the hallways of the old hotel, Luke stumbles upon a private meeting of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and discovers to his horror that the Society is actually a convention of witches holding its annual convention. Led by the Grand High Witch, Miss Ernst (Anjelica Huston), the witches hatch a plot to turn all the children of England into mice. Luke and his pal Bruno (Charles Potter) are the first victims on the list, and make it their mission to scupper the witches evil plot succeeding