Warner Bros has apologised for "any offence caused" after disability campaigners criticised depictions of physical impairment in a remake of The Witches.
The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and released last month, is centred around a coven of witches who convene at a seaside resort, where they secretly work towards an evil grand plan as a young boy stumbles upon their scheme.
In the 2020 reboot of the tale, first penned by Roald Dahl in 1983 and brought to the big screen in a 1990 film, the witches are characterised by a number of physical traits.
Anne Hathaway, who plays the Grand High Witch, and others are revealed to have three elongated fingers on each hand. The appearance is similar to that of the condition ectrodactyly, also known as split hand, whereby one or more central digits of the hand or foot are missing.
British Paralympic swimmer Amy Marren was among those who condemned the depiction, asking studio Warner Bros this week if there was "much thought given as to how this representation of limb differences would affect the limb difference community".
@WarnerBrosUK was there much thought given as to how this representation of limb differences would effect the limb difference community?! @ReachCharity @RoaldFull pic.twitter.com/kiTEAuYt7i
— Amy Marren (@amy_marren) November 2, 2020
"It’s not unusual for surgeons to try and build hands like this for children or adults with certain limb differences and it’s upsetting to (see) something that makes a person different being presented as something scary," she added in a screengrab posted to Twitter.
"My fear is that children will watch this film, unaware that it massively exaggerates the Roald Dhal originals, and that limb difference begin to be feared."
In Dahl's book, the witches are described as having "thin curvy claws" and feet that "have square ends with no toes on them at all".
The official Twitter account for the Paralympic Games supported Marren’s post, writing: “Limb difference is not scary. Differences should be celebrated and disability has to be normalised.”
UK Paralympic swimmer Claire Cashmore also took to social media to criticise the film, saying "we want disabilities to to be normalised and be represented in a positive light rather than being associated with being a scary, evil, witch".
"I know a lot of children and adults who are born missing their fingers and I want them to know that this does not represent you," she posted on Instagram. "Your limb difference is not scary. Your difference is unique and beautiful and should be celebrated."
In the wake of the backlash, Warner Bros said it a statement it was "deeply saddened to learn that our depiction of fictional characters in The Witches could upset people with disabilities", saying the studio regretted "any offence caused".
“In adapting the original story, we worked with designers and artists to come up with a new interpretation of the cat-like claws that are described in the book,” Warner Bros added.
“It was never the intention for viewers to feel that the fantastical, non-human creatures were meant to represent them.”
