There's no doubt that The Witches is probably Roald Dahl's most terrifying book, and for a children's author who was once described as a "master of the macabre," that's saying something.
The eerie novel tells the story of a little boy raised by his elderly Norweigian grandmother, who uncovers a plot by a sinister coven of child-killing demons, cunningly disguised as normal, everyday women, to exterminate all children in the world by transforming them into rodents.
Check out the terrifying trailer for The Witches remake in the video below:When it was first announced that Warner Bros were remaking the 1990 movie adaptation, a lot of fans of the first film were skeptical that it would ever surpass the original.
But now Academy-Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway has shared a behind-the-scenes teaser video, showing how she transformed her into the main antagonist, The Grand High Witch. Suffice it to say, it's not pretty.
Take a look at the transformation video that Hathaway shared here:In a short clip shared with her 18.5 million Instagram followers, 37-year-old Hathaway spoke about the experience of making the movie, alongside her co-stars Octavia Spencer, Jahzir Kadeem, and Stanley Tucci.
She also tells fans how to spot one of Dahl's witches, noting that they have long, clawed hands, large nostrils, bald heads, and hideous fanged jaws. Indeed, the video shows Hathway sporting a smooth dome, and flashing a terrifying shark-like rictus to the camera.
Hathaway's fans were clearly pretty creeped out by the chilling makeup and prosthetics and took to the comments to praise the startling practical effects:
However, the actress has also acknowledged the creative debt she feels to her predecessor Anjelica Houston, who portrayed the Grand High Witch in the original movie.
Uploading a picture of Houston in-character, Hathaway wrote: "Would you please take a moment to join me in celebrating Anjelica Huston’s flawless and iconic turn as The Grand High Witch? [sic]"
She continued:
"Her performance is magnificent - witty, unforgettable, scary as hell and sheer perfection (the scene where she pushes the baby down the cliff still gives me chills to this day.) [sic]
"I just wanted to say, one AH to another, that I tip my wig to the O.G.G.H.W. Anjelica Huston [sic]."
According to Collider, The Witches remake is directed by Back To The Future creator Robert Zemeckis and is due to be released exclusively on HBO Max on October 22.