Octavia Spencer and Anne Hathaway recently spoke Shadow and Act’s Trey Mangum about their film, The Witches.

The Robert Zemeckis-directed film is a remake of the 1990 classic starring Anjelica Huston, based on the book by Roald Dahl. Since the first version of the film is so beloved, you might think there would have been hesitation on the part of the actors when considering signing on to the project. Both actresses jumped in headfirst.

“[I had] no hesitation because I’d never seen the original and when you have writers like Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo Del Toro, Keyna Barris and Bob Zemeckis all weighing in on a script, you know there is inclusion in front of and behind the scenes,” said Spencer. “I loved the book as a kid and thought, ‘Why not? It looks exciting.'”

Hathaway had seen the original, but said it was because of Zemekis that she felt she should join.

“Having had a few experiences with remakes, I’d grown a little wary of them, but the thing that set this one apart was…Robert Zemeckis,” she said. “Anytime Robert Zemekis says he wants to make something and he’s interested in you being it, I think it’s probably in your best interest to say yes…and I’m so happy I did because it’s a totally new take on the story. I love that multiple versions of the same thing can exist, especially when they’re so different and have good reasons for being.”

You can watch the full video below, in which they talk about their favorite Halloween movies and what they think the industry may look like post-COVID-19. The Witches is currently streaming on HBO Max.

Photo: HBO Max