Roald Dahl's The Witches remake slammed by disability community, Warner Bros apologises

Disability campaigners have criticised the new Roald Dahl film The Witches as stigmatising those with missing limbs. Photo / Supplied

Members of the disability community including Paralympians have condemned the remake of a Roald Dahl film.

In the recently released movie The Witches, Anne Hathaway's character is shown with hands that are similar to the limb abnormality ectrodactyly, otherwise known as "split hand".

British Paralympic swimmer Amy Marren was one of the first to call out the studio for the depiction, saying the use of distinct physical impairments in their hands is offensive to those with limb differences.

@WarnerBrosUK was there much thought given as to how this representation of limb differences would effect the limb difference community?! @ReachCharity @RoaldFull pic.twitter.com/kiTEAuYt7i

— Amy Marren (@amy_marren) November 2, 2020

"Is this the kind of message we want the next generation to receive? That having three fingers is a witch's attribute?" wrote disability advocate Shannon Crossland on Instagram.

"It is an extremely damaging portrayal. Disability should NOT be associated with evil, abnormality, disgust, fear or monsters."

The official Paralympic Games also criticised the film.

Limb difference is not scary. Differences should be celebrated and disability has to be normalised. #NotAWitch calls out ‘#TheWitches’ movie for portrayal of disability 👉 https://t.co/aSY1U6TymE pic.twitter.com/UCU87bUeV8

— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) November 3, 2020

Why missing fingers??

Here we go again...
Using disability as a costume and to highlight a character as a “baddie”.

Children with limb differences rarely get to see themselves represented truthfully. But instead get shown as scary monsters?

Not what we need 😑#TheWitches pic.twitter.com/AApqu1Nodx

— Melissa Johns (@Melissa_Clare_J) November 2, 2020

In response to the backlash, a Warner Bros spokesperson told Deadline it had been "deeply saddened to learn that our depiction of the fictional characters in The Witches could upset people with disabilities" and that it "regretted 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," said the spokesperson.

"It was never the intention for viewers to feel that the fantastical, non-human creatures were meant to represent them."