The Witches (1990)
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- PG
- 1h 31min
- Adventure, Comedy
- 24 Aug 1990 (USA)
- Movie
A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Anjelica Huston | ... |
Miss Ernst / Grand High Witch
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| Mai Zetterling | ... |
Helga
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| Jasen Fisher | ... |
Luke
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| Rowan Atkinson | ... |
Mr. Stringer
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| Bill Paterson | ... |
Mr. Jenkins
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| Brenda Blethyn | ... |
Mrs. Jenkins
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| Charlie Potter | ... |
Bruno Jenkins
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| Anne Lambton | ... |
Woman in Black
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| Jane Horrocks | ... |
Miss Irvine
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Sukie Smith | ... |
Marlene
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Rose English | ... |
Dora
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| Jenny Runacre | ... |
Elsie
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Annabel Brooks | ... |
Nicola
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Emma Relph | ... |
Millie
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Nora Connolly | ... |
Beatrice
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| Rosamund Greenwood | ... |
Janice
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| Angelique Rockas | ... |
Henrietta
(as Anjelique Rockas)
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| Ann Tirard | ... |
Lady 1
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| Leila Hoffman | ... |
Lady 2
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| Jim Carter | ... |
Head Chef
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| Roberta Taylor | ... |
Witch Chef
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Brian Hawksley | ... |
Elderly Waiter
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Debra Gillett | ... |
Waitress
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Darcy Flynn | ... |
Luke's Mother
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| Vincent Marzello | ... |
Luke's Father
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Serena Harragin | ... |
Doctor
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Grete Nordrå | ... |
Norwegian Witch
(as Grete Nordra)
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Elsie Eide | ... |
Erica
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Kristin Steinsland | ... |
Child Helga
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Merete Armand | ... |
Erica's Mother
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Ola Otnes | ... |
Erica's Father
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Johan Sverre | ... |
Policeman
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Arvid Ones | ... |
Policeman
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Sverre Røssummoen | ... |
Policeman
(as Sverre Rossummoen)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Roy Beck | ... |
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
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Gary Dean | ... |
Maintenance Man (uncredited)
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| Barbara Hicks | ... |
Old Witch at Meeting (uncredited)
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| Toby Hinson | ... |
Afternoon Tea Waiter (uncredited)
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George Holden | ... |
Hotel Concierge (uncredited)
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Wendy Lowder | ... |
Witch at Meeting (uncredited)
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| Michael Palin | ... |
Witch at Meeting (uncredited)
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Sandy Shelton | ... |
Hotel Receptionist (uncredited)
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Stella Tanner | ... |
Witch at Meeting (uncredited)
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John Triplett | ... |
Head Waiter (uncredited)
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Krister Wiberg | ... |
Child playing in the street (uncredited)
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| Fred Wood | ... |
Witch ( Witches Convention) (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Nicolas Roeg | ||
Written by
| Roald Dahl | ... | (based on the book by) |
| Allan Scott | ... | (screenplay by) |
Produced by
| Jim Henson | ... | executive producer |
| Mark Shivas | ... | producer |
| Dusty Symonds | ... | line producer |
Music by
| Stanley Myers | ||
Cinematography by
| Harvey Harrison | ||
Editing by
| Tony Lawson | ||
Editorial Department
| Jennie McClean | ... | post-production coordinator (as Jennie McClean-Cooke) |
| Margaret Thompson | ... | first assistant editor |
Casting By
| Celestia Fox | ||
Production Design by
| Andrew Sanders | ||
Art Direction by
| Norman Dorme | ... | supervising art director |
| John King | ||
Set Decoration by
| Robin Tarsnane | ||
Costume Design by
| Marit Allen | ||
Makeup Department
| Christine Beveridge | ... | key makeup artist (as Chrissie Beveridge) |
| Nigel Booth | ... | prosthetic makeup |
| Tricia Cameron | ... | hair stylist |
| Sally Harrison | ... | assistant makeup artist |
| Lindsay MacGowan | ... | sculptor and prosthetic make up artist |
| Stephen Norrington | ... | makeup grand high witch (as Steve Norrington) |
| Sally Sutton | ... | assistant makeup artist |
Production Management
| Hans Otto Nicolayssen | ... | production manager: Norway |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Mark Layton | ... | third assistant director |
| Callum McDougall | ... | second assistant director |
| Christopher Newman | ... | assistant director: second unit (as Chris Newman) |
| John Palmer | ... | second unit director |
| Barry Wasserman | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
| Bob Devine | ... | assistant construction manager |
| Geoff Kingsley | ... | construction manager (as Geoffrey Kingsley) |
| Ingeborg Kvamme | ... | assistant set designer: Norway |
| Jonathan McKinstry | ... | draughtsman |
| John Mills | ... | property master |
| Michael G. Ploog | ... | storyboard artist (as Mike Ploog) |
| Cliff Robinson | ... | draughtsman |
| Alfie Smith | ... | stand-by prop |
| Olivia Somary | ... | food stylist |
| Micky Swift | ... | chargehand props |
| Voytek | ... | production designer concepts |
| Don Worts | ... | property buyer |
| Ken Barley | ... | plasterer (uncredited) |
| Paul Bradburn | ... | props (uncredited) |
| Peter Dorme | ... | art department assistant (uncredited) |
| Robert Jackson | ... | carpenter (uncredited) |
| David Ned Kelly | ... | carpenter (uncredited) |
| Micky Mills | ... | props (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Philip Alton | ... | sound effects editor |
| Rodney Glenn | ... | dubbing editor |
| Derek Holding | ... | dialogue editor |
| Gerry Humphreys | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Julian Rodd | ... | assistant dubbing editor |
| John Salter | ... | boom operator |
| Peter Sutton | ... | sound mixer |
| Ron Butcher | ... | sound maintenance (uncredited) |
| Joe Gallagher | ... | assistant dialogue editor (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| David Barrington-Holt | ... | mechanical designer |
| Chris Barton | ... | mechanical designer |
| Verner Gresty | ... | mechanical designer |
| Mike Osborn | ... | foam lab supervisor |
| William Plant | ... | animatronics coordinator |
| Jason Reed | ... | special effects |
| Neal Scanlan | ... | mechanical designer |
| John Stephenson | ... | animatronic designer |
| Alexander Gunn | ... | special effects technician (uncredited) |
| Simon Hewitt | ... | special effects technician (uncredited) |
| Jim Sandys | ... | senior animatronic model designer (uncredited) |
| Bob Thorne | ... | special effects (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
| Jonathan Taylor | ... | visual effects: first assistant camera, second unit |
| Paul Wilson | ... | director of photography: model unit |
| Zoe Cain | ... | optical effects technician: OFE (uncredited) |
| Costas Charitou | ... | titles & opticals: Image to Image (uncredited) |
| Michael McDermott | ... | gaffer: model unit (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Kenneth Atherfold | ... | camera grip (as Kenny Athelfold) |
| Eddie Dias | ... | lighting coordinator Michael Samuelson Lighting |
| Mike Evans | ... | focus puller |
| Steve Foster | ... | gaffer |
| Gareth Hall | ... | second assistant camera: "b" camera / second assistant camera: second unit |
| Gordon Hayman | ... | camera operator |
| Stephen Morley | ... | still photographer |
| John Palmer | ... | camera operator: second unit |
| Dean Morrish | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Chris Warren | ... | video operator (uncredited) |
| Jon Webb | ... | first assistant camera (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Richard Pointing | ... | wardrobe supervisor |
| Dorothea Smylie | ... | wardrobe mistress |
| Jenny Hawkins | ... | wardrobe assistant (uncredited) |
Location Management
| Liz Kerry | ... | location manager: UK |
| Philip Kohler | ... | location manager: Norway |
Music Department
| Chris Dibble | ... | music recordist |
| Christopher Palmer | ... | music arranger |
| Jeff Atmajian | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
| Mark Berrow | ... | musician: violin (uncredited) |
| Richard Harvey | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Mary Holdsworth | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Anthony Asbury | ... | puppeteer |
| Don Austen | ... | puppeteer |
| Brian Bailey | ... | production accountant |
| Mark Challenor | ... | production runner |
| Sue Dacre | ... | puppeteer |
| Sarah Dean | ... | assistant accountant |
| Pauline Fowler | ... | mice designer |
| Jane Gootnick | ... | puppet mice |
| David Greenaway | ... | puppeteer |
| Brian Henson | ... | puppeteer |
| Roy Hyatt | ... | assistant: Mr. Roeg |
| Mark R. Lindsay | ... | sales representative (as Mark Lindsay) |
| Sholto J. Roeg | ... | floor runner (as Sholto Roeg) |
| Clare St. John | ... | production coordinator |
| Ann Thrift | ... | assistant accountant |
| Robert Tygner | ... | puppeteer |
| Gay Whelan | ... | production office secretary |
| Richard Whelan | ... | production runner |
| Steve Whitmire | ... | puppeteer |
| Noreen Donnelly | ... | craft service (uncredited) |
| Clive R. Kay | ... | contact lenses (uncredited) |
| Rupert Ryle-Hodges | ... | second assistant director: Crowd (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Rusty Lemorande | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1990) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1990) (United States) (theatrical)
- CNR Film (1990) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Motion Picture Group (MPG) (1990) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Films (1990) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Syncron Film (1990) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. Pictures Mexico (1990) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1990) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Warner Home Video (1990) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1990) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1991) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- CNR Video (1991) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Video (1991) (Japan) (VHS)
- Roadshow Home Video (1991) (Australia) (VHS)
- VCL Communications (1991) (Germany) (VHS)
- Varus Video (Russia) (VHS)
- VideoVisa (Mexico) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1991) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Lifetime (1995) (United States) (tv)
- Warner Home Video (1999) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (2001) (Mexico) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2001) (Mexico) (DVD)
- Warner Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
- ABC Family (2002) (United States) (tv)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
- Eén (2016) (Belgium) (tv)
- Disney Channel (2017) (Germany) (tv)
- SBS6 (2017) (Netherlands) (tv)
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (2019) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- HBO Max (2021) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
- NITV (2025) (Australia) (tv)
- Plaion Pictures (2025) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Plaion Pictures (2025) (Germany) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2024) (United States) (tv) (streaming)
- Tubi TV (United States) (video) (streaming)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
Special Effects
- Jim Henson's Creature Shop (animatronics)
Other Companies
- Alderman and Andreas Casting (additional casting)
- C.T.S. Studios (music recorded and mixed at)
- Dolby Stereo (in selected theatres)
- Eastman Color (originated on) (from Kodak)
- Goldcrest Studios (also thanks to)
- Image to Image (title design and optical effects)
- Meddings Magic Camera Company (travelling matte)
- Michael Samuelson Lighting (camera systems)
- Optical Film Effects (optical effects)
- Osborne Sound (sound equipment)
- Panavision (filmed with)
- Samuelson Lighting (electrical equipment)
- Sapex Scripts (post-production script services)
- Twickenham Film Studios (sound re-recorded at)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A recently orphaned young boy is taken to a seaside hotel in England by his grandmother, who is recuperating after an illness.. Also staying at their hotel is a group of witches who have gathered to prepare a plot to rid England of all children. Written by Rob Hartill |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Saving the world from witches is a tall order for a boy they've turned into a mouse! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $4,989,395 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Liccy Dahl has stated that Roald Dahl never again requested someone for a role in his book after the producers of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) denied his request to cast Spike Milligan as the title character. But he was ecstatic when Anjelica Huston was cast as the Grand High Witch, as she had been Dahl's personal favorite for the role. See more » |
| Goofs | When the Grand High Witch and her assistant enter her room while Luke gets the formula, they're wearing pointy shoes. Earlier, it was mentioned that witches never wear pointy shoes. However, the original book suggest the Grand High Witch does wear pointed shoes to great discomfort and hates wearing them, this fact is not mentioned in the movie to explain the shoes. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Episode #3.30 (1990). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Happy Birthday See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The opening credits zooms towards the camera above an unknown snow landscape. See more » |
| Quotes |
Dora:
[to another witch, under her breath]
We can't possibly wipe out all of them. Grand High Witch: Who spoke? Who dares to argue with me. [she notices Dora, points to her] Grand High Witch: It was you! Dora: I didn't mean to argue, your grandness. Grand High Witch: You dare to argue with me! Dora: No, honestly, it just was a... Grand High Witch: A stupid witch who answers back, must burn till her bones are black! Dora: No, no! Grand High Witch: A foolish witch without a brain, must sizzle into fire and flame! A witch who dares to say I'm wrong, will not be with us... very long! [she zaps the witch with her eyes] See more » |