HBO Max’s recent Halloween offering, “The Witches,” is meant to be a fun romp for kids who are looking for something a bit spookier than your typical children’s film. However, after the reviews skewered Robert Zemeckis’ latest film and “The Witches” debuted on the streamer, various people in the disability community began to voice their issues with the film’s depiction of its main villain, the Grand High Witch (played by Anne Hathaway). The main issue being how the film presents the witch as a monster with missing fingers, in a way that makes it look similar to ectrodactyly, a congenital disorder that affects tons of people who are born with a deficiency or absence of fingers or toes.
Needless to say, the controversy quickly caught fire, and now, we have Anne Hathaway personally apologizing for the way the film presents its main villain and how some have interpreted it as an offensive portrayal of a very real physical disorder. The actress teamed with the Lucky Fin Project, an organization that helps advocate for people affected by limb differences.
“Let me begin by saying I do my best to be sensitive to the feelings and experiences of others not out of some scrambling PC fear, but because not hurting others seems like a basic level of decency we should all be striving for,” wrote the actress on her Instagram. “As someone who really believes in inclusivity and really, really detests cruelty, I owe you all an apology for the pain caused. I am sorry. I did not connect limb difference with the [Grand High Witch] when the look of the character was brought to me; if I had, I assure you this never would have happened.”
“I particularly want to say I’m sorry to kids with limb differences: now that I know better I promise I’ll do better,” Hathaway added, “And I owe a special apology to everyone who loves you as fiercely as I love my own kids: I’m sorry I let your family down.”
In addition to Hathaway’s apology, Warner Bros. (the studio behind “The Witches”) also released a statement (via EW):
“We the filmmakers and Warner Bros. Pictures are deeply saddened to learn that our depiction of the fictional characters in ‘The Witches’ could upset people with disabilities, and regret any offense caused. In adapting the original story, we worked with designers and artists to come up with a new interpretation of the cat-like claws that are described in the book. It was never the intention for viewers to feel that the fantastical, non-human creatures were meant to represent them. This film is about the power of kindness and friendship. It is our hope that families and children can enjoy the film and embrace this empowering, love-filled theme.”
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Obviously, this sort of controversy is not what a brand-new film is hoping to experience during the first couple of weeks of release. However, that’s what’s happening to “The Witches” and HBO Max. If you have yet to see the film (and our review really doesn’t recommend you bother with it), you can do so on HBO Max now.
