Bewitched
Short description
Bewitched follows Jack Wyatt, an actor whose career has faded, as he tries to stage a comeback by starring in a television remake of a classic sitcom about a man married to a witch. He insists on casting an unknown actress opposite him so that she will not draw attention away from his performance. He finds Isabel Bigelow, a newcomer who has moved to Hollywood hoping to live an ordinary life among ordinary people. What Jack and the rest of the production do not realize is that Isabel really is a witch, and her secret complicates both the shoot and their growing feelings for each other.
Nora Ephron directed the film and wrote the screenplay with her sister Delia Ephron. It came after Lucky Numbers in her filmography, before Julie & Julia. Nicole Kidman plays Isabel and Will Ferrell plays Jack; Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman and Kristin Chenoweth also appear. The production is loosely tied to the 1960s series of the same name.
Made for about 85 million dollars, the film took in roughly 131 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 4.9 from around 78,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 5.1 from roughly 1,700 votes. A critics' rating of 4.9 from 185 reviews places it close to the audience scores, indicating a generally muted reception across both groups.
What's left behind the scenes
- A signature quirk of 'The Witch' was a cute nose twitch. Nicole Kidman was asked not to display this skill publicly before the film's release. But the actress couldn't resist Jonathan Ross, who literally forced her to reveal her trick on his television show.
- Joan Plowright was originally slated to play Aunt Clara, but ultimately had to leave the project. Following a recommendation from Kristin Chenoweth, the role went to Carol Shelley, with whom they had previously played supporting roles in the Broadway production of 'Wicked.' Shelley appeared on set for exactly one week to film all of her scenes.
- The role of Jack Wyatt was originally intended for Jim Carrey. However, unknown circumstances forced the actor to decline the part.
- All the brooms from the film's set were sent to cinemas as additional promotional decor.
- Before Nicole Kidman was cast as Samantha, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, and Alicia Silverstone were all considered for the role.
- The role of Christine Chenoweth was written specifically for her, because Nicole Kidman admired her performance in the Broadway musical 'Wicked'.
- The character of Nigel Bigelow was written specifically with Michael Caine in mind.
- When Aunt Clara's bag falls down the chimney, a bag full of doorknobs spills out. This is a reference to the original series 'Bewitched' (1964-1972), in which Aunt Clara collected doorknobs. Marion Lorne (who played Aunt Clara in the 60s series) herself collected doorknobs and asked the show's writers to include them in the plot.
- The house Isabel bought was chosen by Nora Ephron (the film's director) herself. The house belongs to her parents' friends, and she spent a lot of time there as a child.
- The main musical theme of 'Bewitched' is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra's lyrical music. In fact, the track was recorded in 1964 by Steve Lawrence, who was known for his strange impersonation of Sinatra.
- Nicole Kidman confessed that Will Ferrell provided her with invaluable support during the filming of the comedic scenes.
- After Isabel confesses to Darrin that she is a witch, he asks, “Can I get pregnant? See, I can’t do that right now!”. Endora casts a spell on him that causes pregnancy symptoms, which Samantha experienced in the early episodes of the original 'Bewitched' series (1964-1972).
Similar movies
Auditions in India
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Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
