Anne Hathaway’s ‘The Witches’ Unaffected by Alleged Assault on Set

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – A man arrested on suspicion of wounding another on the set of Anne Hathaway movie “The Witches” has been given bail, and sources say production on the Roald Dahl adaptation has been unaffected.

The incident on Wednesday at Warner Bros.’ studio in Leavesden, outside London, was originally reported as a stabbing, but appears less serious than first thought, with the alleged victim suffering “a small laceration to his neck” during a confrontation with someone known to him, police said.

Sources close to the film told Variety that production did not cease because of the incident and the movie’s schedule remains unchanged. “ ,” which also stars Chris Rock and Octavia Spencer, has been scheduled by Warner Bros. for an Oct. 16, 2020, release.

The studio issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging the incident but giving little further information, on the grounds that it was a police matter. A spokesman declined any further comment Thursday. Reports suggest that the incident occurred after the two men had a disagreement about a trivial matter on set.

“One man, in his 40s, sustained a small laceration to his neck and was taken to hospital by ambulance,” Hertfordshire police said Thursday. “He was released later that evening following treatment. A second man, who is 54, was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and released on bail until Wednesday, July 17. The men are known to each other.”

Leavesden was the base for the “Harry Potter” movies. It is now home to the popular Harry Potter studio tour, which was unaffected by “The Witches” incident.