A creature from Pan’s Labyrinth
Guillermo del Toro, the Oscar-nominated director of Pan’s Labyrinth, is attached to direct an animated version of the Roald Dahl book, The Witches. The project was originally going to be directed by Pan’s Labyrinth producer Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), who will now produce.
“I am involved with Guillermo Del Toro [on The Witches],” Cuaron told Empire Magazine, “but as a producer, not director. I think it started because I’ve always wanted to do a version of Roald Dahl’s very naughty Uncle Oswald [featured in many Dahl short stories]. So we were talking to [Dahl's daughter] Lucy Dahl, when we got onto the subject of The Witches. Then Guillermo wrote this amazing screenplay really quickly.”
The book tells the story of an orphaned boy and his efforts to defeat the hidden organization of evil witches determined to eradicate all children. It was previously filmed as a live-action 1990 movie starring Angelica Houston.
Angelica Houston in The Witches (1990)
“It won’t be like the original Nicholas Roeg version, which was a beautiful film,” Cuaron said. “Guillermo wants to do it completely in stop- motion animation. I’m excited about it.”
Del Toro is extraordinarily busy man, currently attached to direct a host of fantasy-themed movies, including Deadman, about the ghost of circus acrobat (scheduled for release in 2010); Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, about a girl who discovers strange creatures in her new house (scheduled for release in 2011); and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and the two-part version of The Hobbit that will serve as a prequel to Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings (all tentatively scheduled for release in 2012).
“I really hope we can put it together,” Cuaran said of The Witches project, which will hopefully be out in 2011.
I’m excited and i loved the book but…..i would prefer it in a normal movie mode and not in stop motion..
Come Join The Grand High Witch Fan Club For Prize Winning Contests, Rare Photos, Fan Videos, And So Much More! Join Today!
Http://Facebook.com/GrandHighWitchFanClub
what is stop motion?
Love the story. A great story can never be told too many times. Angelica Houston is an amazing actress, it would have been difficult to film a better live action film. I look forward to the movie. I hope it is filmed in English.
Everything that comes from Cuaron or del Toro is pure gold. Every single project listed has me tingling with anticipation.
When I heard Peter Jackson wouldn’t be doing the Hobbit I was very closed to being depressed until I heard who had taken the reigns of the project.
The idea of these two tackling Witches thrills me to no end!!!
I love Pan’s Labyrinth and love that monster with the eyes in its hands. How unbelievably creepy is that? But I have to say, I don’t entirely see the point of remaking The Witches in stop motion. I guess we’ll see!
Very cool!