Production on the Anne Hathaway-starring The Witches reboot in England was interrupted on Wednesday when a member of the film’s crew was reportedly stabbed in the neck. The Warner Bros. Studios stages in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, where Harry Potter was filmed, was reportedly placed on lockdown after the attack and the alleged attacker arrested.
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According to the Daily Mail, police were called to the studio after a fight broke out between two crew members — reportedly a rigger and a stagehand — working on the film. Hertfordshire police confirmed the event.
“Police were called at around 12:35 p.m. today to reports of an incident at Warner Brothers Studios in Leavesden,” the spokeswoman said. “One man sustained a neck injury and was taken to hospital by ambulance. A second man was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and is currently in police custody. It is believed the men are known to each other. Enquiries are continuing at this time to establish the circumstances around what happened.”
Warner Bros. said declined to comment, stating the incident was a police matter. While Daily Mail’s report notes that the incident took place around 100 crew, it is unclear if Hathaway was on set at the time.
Hathaway is playing the Grand High Witch in the film, a reimagining of Roald Dahl’s beloved 1983 novel. The Grand High Witch is the same role that Anjelica Houston played in the cult-classic 1990 film. This remake, directed by Robert Zemeckis, will be set in the Gothic South in the 1960s, a shift that Hathaway commented to Variety last month would see the film differ from the 1990s film in every way except the story.
“I think the stories will be the only thing that is familiar,” Hathaway said. “I think everything else is totally from the mind of Robert Zemeckis and I’m really excited.”
In addition to Hathaway as the Grand High Witch, Octavia Spencer is set to play the grandmother in the story while the boy will be played by newcomer Jahzir Bruno. The film is set to open in theaters October 16, 2020.
