Anne Hathaway reveals she was born to play a witch in sweet throwback as she promotes The Witches 

Anne Hathaway has some big shoes to fill in her HBO Max feature adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches.

But the Academy Award winner has been preparing for the role much longer than her fans might think.

She revealed Wednesday that she was born to play a witch, as she posted a sweet childhood throwback of herself in a black witches hat, worn over a curly rainbow wig.

Baby witch: Anne Hathaway revealed Wednesday that she was born to play a witch, as she posted a sweet childhood throwback of herself in a black witches hat, worn over a curly rainbow wig

The 37-year-old posted it with an image of herself as the Grand High Witch, writing: ‘How it started, how it’s going. #TheWitchesMovie’

She takes over the starring role from the 1983 book, which was previously played by Anjelica Huston, 69, in the iconic 1990 film. 

Hathaway took to Instagram earlier this month to pay tribute to her predecessor: ‘Would you please take a moment to join me in celebrating Anjelica Huston’s flawless and iconic turn as The Grand High Witch?

‘Her performance is magnificent – witty, unforgettable, scary as hell and sheer perfection (the scene where she pushes the baby down the cliff still gives me chills to this day.) I just wanted to say, one AH to another, that I tip my wig to the O.G.G.H.W. Anjelica Huston. #WitchesAreReal #TheWitchesMovie’

Born for it: The 37-year-old posted it with an image of herself as the Grand High Witch, writing: 'How it started, how it’s going. #TheWitchesMovie'

Born for it: The 37-year-old posted it with an image of herself as the Grand High Witch, writing: ‘How it started, how it’s going. #TheWitchesMovie’

Big shoes to fill: She takes over the starring role from the 1983 book, which was previously played by Anjelica Huston, 69, in the iconic 1990 film

Big shoes to fill: She takes over the starring role from the 1983 book, which was previously played by Anjelica Huston, 69, in the iconic 1990 film

Paying tribute: Hathaway took to Instagram earlier this month to pay tribute to her predecessor

Paying tribute: Hathaway took to Instagram earlier this month to pay tribute to her predecessor

The Princess Diaries star serves her own campy take on the character in the Robert Zemeckis-directed film, which was written by Zemeckis, Kenya Barris and Guillermo del Toro. 

She told People earlier this month what went into making their version of the fabulous children’s book villainess. 

Hathaway said: ‘The Grand High Witch was a total collaboration between costumes, hair and make-up, the writers, my dialect coach, the effects department, stunts, [director] Bob Zemeckis and myself.

‘She is such a weirdo – so silly and over the top – and everyone had to work together to be on the same page so it felt big and entertaining but never too much.’

Fresh take: The Princess Diaries star serves her own campy take on the character in the Robert Zemeckis-directed film, which was written by Zemeckis, Kenya Barris and Guillermo del Toro

Fresh take: The Princess Diaries star serves her own campy take on the character in the Robert Zemeckis-directed film, which was written by Zemeckis, Kenya Barris and Guillermo del Toro

Getting in character: She told People earlier this month what went into making their version of the fabulous children's book villainess

Getting in character: She told People earlier this month what went into making their version of the fabulous children’s book villainess

Group effort: Hathaway said: 'The Grand High Witch was a total collaboration between costumes, hair and make-up, the writers, my dialect coach, the effects department, stunts, [director] Bob Zemeckis and myself'

Group effort: Hathaway said: ‘The Grand High Witch was a total collaboration between costumes, hair and make-up, the writers, my dialect coach, the effects department, stunts, [director] Bob Zemeckis and myself’

Glam team: She previously took to Instagram Tuesday with a time-lapse video of the long prosthetic makeup process, writing: 'Everyone: It’s magic! Me: #TheWitchesMovie'

Glam team: She previously took to Instagram Tuesday with a time-lapse video of the long prosthetic makeup process, writing: ‘Everyone: It’s magic! Me: #TheWitchesMovie’

She previously took to Instagram Tuesday with a time-lapse video of the long prosthetic makeup process, writing: ‘Everyone: It’s magic! Me: #TheWitchesMovie’

The Dark Knight Rises actress sat in a makeup chair with a bald cap on, as she was covered from the neck up in blue and green goo and a thick plaster, making a mold of her head.

She leads of crew of stylish undercover witches at a hotel in 1960s Alabama, where they hold their annual conference and enact their plot to turn children into mice. 

The film also stars Octavia Spencer and Stanley Tucci, with the voices of Chris Rock and Kristin Chenoweth, premiering October 22 on HBO Max. 

Reunited: Hathaway also gushed about working with Stanley Tucci, 59, again, for the first time since they co-stared in the 2006 hit film The Devil Wears Prada

Reunited: Hathaway also gushed about working with Stanley Tucci, 59, again, for the first time since they co-stared in the 2006 hit film The Devil Wears Prada

Onscreen chemistry: She told People: 'He was always getting me to laugh and break character on The Devil Wears Prada, so I felt really proud when I got him to giggle and break with my accent on The Witches'

Onscreen chemistry: She told People: ‘He was always getting me to laugh and break character on The Devil Wears Prada, so I felt really proud when I got him to giggle and break with my accent on The Witches’

Hathaway also gushed about working with Tucci, 59, again, for the first time since they co-stared in the 2006 hit film The Devil Wears Prada. 

She told People: ‘So much has changed in each of our lives. But he is still the same wry, funny, sweet person he was then.

‘He was always getting me to laugh and break character on The Devil Wears Prada, so I felt really proud when I got him to giggle and break with my accent on The Witches.’

The Witches was originally set for an October theatrical premiere, but it was recently given an October 22 release date on HBO Max, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Movie night: The Witches was originally set for an October theatrical premiere, but it was recently given an October 22 release date on HBO Max, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Movie night: The Witches was originally set for an October theatrical premiere, but it was recently given an October 22 release date on HBO Max, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic