
When I was having breakfast in my room, I would do the lines opposite the cute little cup they brought the boiled eggs in. “As I was learning the scenes I would do them out loud and do the lines opposite a doorknob or the salt shaker. “One of the things Bob impressed upon me was that he really wanted those moments to feel real,” Spencer explains. It was a challenge for the filmmakers, as well as for Spencer, who had to learn to act opposite nothing when filming the scenes with the mice. The scene pairs live-action moments with Grandma and the Grand High Witch, and animated moments with the mice.


“Grandma knew how to combat witches and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and her grandson. “I thought it was amazing,” Spencer adds of the scene. I loved that things weren’t wrapped up with a pretty bow.” “Life doesn’t always turn out with a happy ending, but you have to deal with the cards that you’re dealt. “I was happy that stayed true to the book,” says Octavia Spencer, who plays the film’s feisty Grandma. Robert Zemeckis’ new adaptation, released last week on HBO Max, makes several key changes to the story and setting, but maintains the core plot of Dahl’s work, including the hero’s fate. In Roeg’s version, he becomes human again, reversing Dahl’s notably dark ending. The film, produced by Jim Henson and directed by Nicolas Roeg, altered the conclusion of the 1983 children’s book, which leaves the hero boy stuck as a mouse after his transformation by the Grand High Witch. When the original film adaptation of “The Witches” premiered in 1990, author Roald Dahl was famously unhappy with the changes to his novel’s ending. For less spoiler-y content, consider this review and our feature on updating Dahl’s story for contemporary audiences.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the latest adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel “The Witches,” currently streaming on HBO Max, including a discussion of the ending.
