Some major trouble recently went down on the set of the upcoming adaptation of The Witches, as a fight between two crew members resulted in a serious injury and an arrest. According to The Daily Mail, the incident occurred at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. After an apparent fight broke out between a stagehand and a rigger, the former was stabbed in the neck with a Stanley knife. When authorities arrived on the scene soon after, the stagehand was hospitalized while the rigger was arrested on “suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.”
It’s not clear if star Anne Hathaway was on set at the time or witnessed the attack, but the incident occurred in front of about 100 others. Several crew members came to the aid of the stagehand after the stabbing, resulting in swift medical attention and the arrival of the police. The exact extent of the wounded man’s injuries have not yet been disclosed. As of now, Warner Bros. isn’t commenting on the incident either as it’s still under investigation.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Kenya Barris, The Witches stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Rock. It is based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, but will be the second film adaptation based on the story. Back in 1990, another version of the film was released by director Nicolas Roeg. That version starred The Addams Family star Anjelica Huston in the lead role, and has since become a cult classic.
Filming on The Witches has been suspended to allow the studio to assess the situation and for the authorities to complete their investigation. No word yet on when shooting might resume. As of now, the tentative release date for the new movie is Oct. 16, 2020.
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