In the late 1980s, Jim Henson hand-picked Nicolas Roeg to helm the Creature Shop’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. We are saddened to learn that Roeg passed away this week at the age of 90.
Nicolas Roeg rose to acclaim as the Cinematographer of films like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. He later directed films such as David Bowie’s The Man Who Fell to Earth and Bad Timing starring Art Garfunkel.
Although Jim Henson was reportedly very happy with Roeg’s work on The Witches, Roald Dahl was famously less-so, claiming that the film missed the point of the book and butchered the ending. Although the movie was critically lauded and has since found a cult following, it was considered a box office failure, and Roeg only made three more films between The Witches and his passing.
The Witches is a terrific part of Henson history, and it wouldn’t have been so without the dedication of Nicolas Roeg.
Click here to help us remember Nicolas Roeg on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
