Anya Taylor-Joy first arrived as a star over 10 years ago with her roles in terrifying horror movies, but it wasn’t until The Queen’s Gambit that she established herself as one of the great working actors in Hollywood. She’s been extremely busy the last few years starring in sci-fi movies such as Furiosa and The Gorge. The former is a prequel to Tom Hardy’s Mad Max: Fury Road, and although the film also stars Chris Hemsworth, it failed spectacularly at the box office. The Gorge, however, was released straight to streaming on Apple TV and has been a juggernaut for the platform.
10 years ago, when Taylor-Joy was still on the upward trajectory to stardom, she starred in a ritualistic horror film titled The Witch. Originally titled The VVitch: A New England Folktale, The Witch is easier to sell to casual moviegoers. The film follows an isolated Puritan family in the early 1600s in New England who become unraveled when the forces of witchcraft and possession come down on them with the force of nature. Robert Eggers, famed for his work on The Northman, The Lighthouse, and Nosferatu, wrote the script and directed The Witch.
In America, The Witch is streaming exclusively on HBO Max, and the streamer has not yet announced any plans for the film to leave the platform. However, in some global territories that don’t have access to HBO Max or where the film has another streaming home, The Witch is now charting in the iTunes top 10, becoming one of the most popular purchases. The film grossed $40 million at the box office against a $4 million budget, and the film earned scores of 91% from critics and 61% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Anya Taylor-Joy Returns to the World of Sci-Fi This Year
Later this year, Anya Taylor-Joy will star in one of the most anticipated sci-fi movies of the year with Dune: Part Three. She briefly appeared in Dune: Part Two as Alita Atreides, the younger sister of Paul Atreides, but she will step into a much larger role in the third and final film in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi trilogy. Before she hits the sands of Arrakis, though, she will reunite with Chris Pratt for a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is coming to theaters on April 1.
Be sure to watch The Witch on HBO Max in America, and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.
- Release Date
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February 19, 2016
- Runtime
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92 minutes
- Producers
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Daniel Bekerman, Jay Van Hoy, Jodi Redmond, Lars Knudsen, Rodrigo Teixeira