​People Are Saying The Witches Remake Is Better Than The Original

It may have only just dropped on Monday, but a new remake of fantasy drama The Witches is already creeping many fans out - and for good reason too!

This new film is a fresh take on the iconic Roald Dahl children's novel of the same name and stars Anne Hathaway in the role of Grand High Witch and Octavia Spencer as the grandma, and fans are even going so far as to say that it's even better than the original.

First adapted into a film starring Anjelica Huston in 1990, it left many of us terrified as children, so this new version has a lot to live up to.

It seems that it's succeeded, however, as fans are calling the new film both "fun" and"iconic". Here's what they're saying:

"#TheWitches remake is better than the original imho. I loved it!" said one fan of the film.

While another thought that Anne Hathaway "completely owned" the film:

"Unpopular opinion Anne Hathaway is much better Grand high witch than Angelica Houston," they said. "Hathaways energy is just do brilliantly wicked she just completely owns #TheWitches."

A third said: "Personally, I love this new version of #TheWitches! Its more fun, with iconic performance by Anne Hathaway! Visually also much better than the original movie, so creepy!"

And we couldn't agree more!

However, some fans were not convinced by this new take on the creepy tale.

One wasn't happy with the choice of Anne Hathaway for the role of Grand High Witch.

"Anjelica Huston will always be my Grand High Witch," they said.

And another was seriously rooting for the original:

The 1990 adaptation was "100x better than the original," they argued.

Alongside Hathaway and Spencer - who plays the doting grandma of the young boy who discovers the creepy witches - this film also stars Stanley Tucci as the hotel manager who unwittingly hosts the witches' convention, newcomer Jahzir Bruno as the young boy lead and comedian Chris Rock as narrator.

The Witches follows Bruno's character as he goes to live with his grandmother in the country and the two come across three "deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches".

Warner Bros)

Though the boy's grandmother takes him away to safety just in time, their getaway coincides with a gathering of undercover witches from around the world. Yup, you couldn't make this up!

Led by Hathaway's Grand High Witch, the witches then attempt to carry out their evil plan against the boy.

And if it's anything like the children's book of the same name, which tells the story of a group of witches masquerading as ordinary women in order to kill children, we'll definitely be watching this at Halloween.

The Witches is now available to rent on Premium Video On Demand (PVOD).

Topics: Film News, Entertainment, TV and Film

Aneira Davies

Aneira Davies is a freelance lifestyle journalist with a particular interest in interiors and craft. She has written for the Evening Standard, Prima, House Beautiful and Good Housekeeping.

@aneiradavies