Roald Dahl’s children’s classic ‘The Witches’ is being remade

Do you think a remake can compare with the original?

Anjelica Huston terrified children everywhere with her scary, pitch-perfect performance as the Grand High Witch in 1990’s “The Witches.” But now, this classic children’s movie is getting a modern update. Yup. “The Witches,” which is based on the book of the same name by British children’s book author Roald Dahl, is going to get a brand-new remake.

And none other than the gifted Robert Zemeckis will be directing the project. The Oscar and Golden Globe winner is behind such wonderful classic films as “Back to the Future” and “Forrest Gump,” so this remake of “The Witches” is certain to be epic.

Zemeckis will also be writing the script, and Variety reports that this version of the “The Witches” will remain much more faithful to the book than the 1990 film adaption did. There is no word yet on who will star in the project, but hopefully the inimitable Anjelica Huston can at least make a cameo.

In fact, when the original movie premiered, film critic Roger Ebert gave it three stars, and lauded Huston’s performance as reason enough for seeing the movie, saying, “‘The Witches’ is an intriguing movie, ambitious and inventive, and almost worth seeing just for Anjelica Huston’s obvious delight in playing a completely uncompromised villainess.”

As for child star Jasen Fisher, who played the young Luke in the 1990s film (as well as iconic roles in other family movies of the day, including “Hook” and “Parenthood”), don’t expect to see him in the remake — or in any film, for that matter. Despite an impressive start to his career, Fisher abandoned Hollywood and now is a professional golf caddy.

Could it be that he was just so traumatized by the terrifying scenes in “The Witches” that he had to change careers?

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Probably not, but it’s good to know that a whole new generation of children can be terrified and tantalized by another telling of this chilling children’s tale.

Do you think anything can beat the horrors of the original?