Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sabrina the Teenage Witch |
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| Screenplay by | Barney Cohen Kathryn Wallack Nicholas Factor |
| Story by | Barney Cohen Kathryn Wallack |
| Directed by | Tibor Takács |
| Starring | Melissa Joan Hart Sherry Miller Charlene Fernetz Michelle Beaudoin Ryan Reynolds Tobias Mehler Lalainia Lindbjerg |
| Composer(s) | Greg De Belles |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Barney Cohen Kathryn Wallack Paula Hart |
| Cinematography | Bernard Salzmann |
| Editor(s) | Daria Ellerman |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Barney Cohen and Kathryn Wallack Productions Once and Future Films Hartbreak Films Viacom Productions Showtime Networks |
| Distributor | Sonar Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | Showtime |
| Original release | April 7, 1996 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Sabrina Goes to Rome |
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a fun TV movie from 1996. It's based on the popular comic books by Archie Comics. This movie was like a test run for the Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV show. It first aired on Showtime on April 7, 1996.
Only two actors from the movie also appeared in the later TV series. Melissa Joan Hart played Sabrina. Her character's last name was different in the movie. Michelle Beaudoin also appeared, but her character's name changed for the TV show. The movie takes place in Riverdale. This is the same town where Archie and his friends live in the comics. The TV show was set in a different made-up town called Westbridge. Even though the story is in the United States, the movie was filmed in British Columbia, Canada.
Contents
Story of the Movie
The movie is about a girl named Sabrina Sawyer. She goes to live with her quirky aunts in Riverdale. On her 16th birthday, Sabrina gets a big surprise. She finds out she is a witch!
Sabrina soon develops a crush on Seth. He is the most popular boy at school. But Seth is already dating Katie La More. Katie is the school's "queen bee" or mean girl. Sabrina wants Seth to notice her. She has to figure out how to use her new magic. She also needs to avoid casting a love spell, which could cause big problems.
Katie eventually breaks up with Seth. Then, Seth starts to notice Sabrina. Sabrina uses her magic to win a track race. This helps Seth ask her to the Spring Fling dance. Katie finds out Sabrina's secret. She plans to tell everyone about Sabrina being a witch. Sabrina uses her magic to turn Katie into a poodle to stop her. Later, she changes Katie back. Meanwhile, Harvey likes Sabrina. He hopes she will change her mind and notice him instead. The movie ends happily with Sabrina and Harvey together at the dance.
Meet the Cast
- Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Sawyer
- Sherry Miller as Aunt Hilda
- Charlene Fernetz as Aunt Zelda
- Michelle Beaudoin as Marnie Littlefield
- Ryan Reynolds as Seth
- Tobias Mehler as Harvey
- Lalainia Lindbjerg as Katie La More
- Laura Harris as Freddie
- Kea Wong as Fran
- Jo Bates as Coach
- Janine Cox as Sales Clerk
- Biski Gugushe as Larry
- Tyler Labine as Mark
- Jim Swansburg as Mr. Dingle
- Noel Geer as Jeff
Movie vs. TV Show: What's Different?
The 1996 movie and the later TV series have some cool differences.
Sabrina's Family and Home
- In the movie, Sabrina's last name is Sawyer. In the TV show, it's Spellman.
- The movie is set in Riverdale. The TV show is set in Westbridge.
- In the movie, both of Sabrina's parents are witches. In the TV series, her dad is a witch and her mom is a mortal (not a witch).
Magic and Spells
- In the movie, Sabrina uses her mind to cast spells. In the TV show, she points her finger.
- In the movie, Sabrina finds her spell book on her 16th birthday. In the TV series, her aunts give it to her.
- In the movie, Sabrina learns she's a witch on her birthday. In the TV series, she knows before starting school.
Friends and Rivals
- Katie is the main mean girl in the movie. In the TV series, it's Libby.
- Michelle Beaudoin plays Marnie in the movie. Marnie is Sabrina's friend. In the TV series, Michelle's character is Jenny, who is also Sabrina's best friend. Jenny is quite smart.
- Katie in the movie is a typical blonde, slim cheerleader. Libby in the TV show has dark hair and a different look.
Characters' Personalities
- Harvey is a bit "nerdy" in the movie. In the TV series, he's more of a "jock."
- In the movie, both Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda are clever. Zelda is more serious than Hilda. In the TV series, Hilda is the fun, less serious aunt. Zelda is much smarter and more serious.
- The voice actor for Salem the cat is different in the movie and the TV show.
- Salem's backstory is different. In the movie, he became a cat for kissing someone who didn't truly love him. In the TV series, he became a cat for trying to take over the world. He's also more self-centered in the TV show.
Other Differences
- Most actors are different between the movie and the TV show. This includes Harvey, Aunt Hilda, and Aunt Zelda. Only Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina) and Michelle Beaudoin (Marnie/Jenny) are in both.
- In the movie, Sabrina has a surprise birthday party with everyone from school. In the TV series, it's just her aunts and Salem.
- In the movie, Sabrina already knows Marnie. In the TV series, she meets Jenny for the first time.
