Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Remake)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall and written by David Magee. As a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, the film is based upon the books The Magic Bedknob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons (1943) and Bonfires and Broomsticks (1947)

Synopsis
During the Battle of Britain, Miss Eglantine Price, a cunning witch-in-training, decides to use her supernatural powers to defeat the Nazi menace. She sets out to accomplish this task with the aid of three inventive children who have been evacuated from the London Blitz. Joined by Emelius Brown, the head of Miss Price's witchcraft training correspondence school, the crew uses an enchanted bed to travel into a fantasy land and foil encroaching German troops.

Plot
The film begins during the Blitz when Charlie, Carrie, and Paul are evacuated from London to Pepperinge Eye, where they are placed in the reluctant care of Miss Eglantine Price, who agrees to the arrangement temporarily. The three children attempt to run back to London, but after observing Miss Price attempting to fly on a broomstick, they change their minds. Miss Price reveals she is learning witchcraft through a correspondence school with hopes of using her spells in the British war effort, and offers the children a transportation spell in exchange for their silence. She casts the spell on a bedknob, and adds only Paul can work the spell.

Later, Miss Price receives a letter from her school announcing its closure, thus preventing her from learning the final spell. She convinces Paul to use the enchanted bed to return the group to London, and locate Professor Emelius Browne. They discover Browne is actually a charismatic showman who created the course from an old book, and is surprised to learn the spells actually work for Miss Price. He gives the book to Miss Price, who is distraught to discover the final spell, "Substitutiary Locomotion," is missing.

The group travels to Portobello Road to locate the rest of the book. They are approached by Swinburne, who takes them to the Bookman, who possesses the remainder of the book. They exchange their pieces, but learn only the spell was inscribed on a medallion, the Star of Astaroth, that belonged to a sorcerer of that name. The Bookman reveals the medallion may have been taken by a pack of wild animals, given anthropomorphism by Astaroth, to a remote island called Naboombu.

It was said in the 17th century, a lascar claimed he saw Naboombu. The Bookman, however, does not believe the island exists, as he looked in every chart for it, until Paul confirms its existence via a storybook.

The group fly on the bed, and land in the Island of Naboombu's lagoon; there, the bed goes underwater, where Mr. Browne and Miss Price enter a dance contest, and win first prize. Just then, the bed is fished out of the sea by a bear, who tells the five there is "No Peopling Allowed". They are brought before King Leonidas, who rules the island. He is wearing the Star of Astaroth, then invites Mr. Browne to act as a referee in a soccer game. The chaotic match ends in Leonidas' self-proclaimed victory, but Mr. Browne cleverly swaps the medallion with his referee whistle as he leaves. Upon examining the Star, Miss Price finds the missing spell for Substitutiary Locomotion. When he discovers the theft, Leonidas pursues the travelers, but Miss Price transforms him into a white rabbit, and the five escape.

Back home, Miss Price prepares to try out the spell, but the Star has vanished back into the fantasy world of Naboombu. Paul reveals the spell was actually in his storybook the whole time. Miss Price attempts the spell on Mr. Browne's shoes; while the spell works, and imbues the shoes with life, she finds she inadvertently brought other items throughout the house to life as well, and has difficultly controlling them. Mrs. Hobday informs Miss Price the children can be relocated with another family, but Miss Price wants them to stay. Mr. Browne is leery of commitment, and when the children refer to him as a father figure, he attempts to return to London.

A platoon of Nazi commandos land on the coast, and invade Miss Price's house, imprisoning her and the children in the local museum. After observing more Nazis disabling phone lines, Mr. Browne comes to the rescue, inspiring Miss Price to use "Substitutiary Locomotion" to enchant the museum's exhibits into an army.

The army of knights' armour and military uniforms chase the Nazis away, but as the Nazis retreat, they destroy Miss Price's workshop, ending her career as a witch. Though disappointed her career is over, she is happy she played a small part in the war effort. Mr. Browne enlists in the army, and departs with the local Home Guard escorting him, while Paul reveals he still has the enchanted bedknob, hinting they can continue on with their adventures.

Cast

 * Emily Blunt as Miss Eglantine Price. Miss Price is initially a somewhat reclusive woman, reluctant to take in children from London as she believes they will get in the way of her witchcraft, which she prefers to keep secret but hopes to use to bring the nascent World War II to an end.


 * Ben Whishaw as Mr. Emelius Browne. Introduced as "Professor Browne," the title by which Miss Price knows him, he is running a Correspondence College of Witchcraft based on what he believes to be "nonsense words" found in an old book. When Miss Price and the children find him in London, he is revealed to be a street performer and con artist, and not a very good one. He is, however, a smooth talker, which proves useful on the group's adventures, and believes in doing everything "with a flair."  As  the adventures unfold, he finds himself developing an attachment to Miss Price and the children, a feeling he struggles with.


 * Nathaniel Saleh as Charles "Charlie" Rawlins. Charlie is the eldest of the orphaned Rawlins children; eleven, going on twelve, according to Carrie, an age which Miss Price calls "The Age of Not Believing." Accordingly, he is initially cynical and disbelieving of Miss Price's magical efforts, but comes around as time goes on; it is at his initial suggestion that Ms. Price uses the Substitutiary Locomotion spell on the museum artifacts.


 * Pixie Davies as Carrie Rawlins. Slightly younger than Charlie, she takes on a motherly attitude toward her brothers, especially Paul. She is the first to encourage a friendly relationship between Miss Price and the children.


 * Joel Dawson as Paul Rawlins. Paul is about six; his possession of the bedknob and the Isle of Naboombu children's book lead to the group's adventures as well as the eventual solution to the quest for the Substitutiary Locomotion spell.  Paul is prone to blurting out whatever is on his mind, which occasionally leads to trouble.


 * Roddy McDowall as Mr. Rowan Jelk, the local clergyman. Deleted scenes reveal Mr. Jelk to be interested in marrying Miss Price, largely for her property.


 * Dick Van Dyke as the Bookman, a mysterious criminal also in pursuit of the Substitutiary Locomotion spell. It is implied that there is some history and bad blood between him and Mr. Browne.


 * TBA as Swinburne, an associate of the Bookman's who acts as his muscle.
 * Julie Walters as Mrs. Jessica "Jessie" Hobday, the local postmistress of Pepperinge Eye and chairwoman of the War Activities Committee.
 * TBA as Colonel Heller, leader of the German raiding party which comes ashore at Pepperinge Eye.
 * David Warner as Major General Sir Brian Teagler, commander of the local Home Guard.
 * TBA as Captain Ainsley Greer, a British Army captain who comes from HQ in London to inspect the Home Guard and becomes lost in the area. He is constantly running into locals who suspect him of being a Nazi in disguise.


 * Hank Worden as Old Home Guard Soldier (uncredited)
 * Cyril Delevanti as Elderly farmer

Voices

 * Idris Elba as King Leonidas, a lion and a devoted soccer player with a fearsome temper, as well as a notorious cheat who is known to make up the rules as he goes along.


 * Seth Rogen as Secretary Bird, a prim and proper type who often bears the brunt of the king's temper.


 * Dan Stevens as the Fisherman Bear, a sailor and fisherman on the Isle of Naboombu who pulls the bed, with Miss Price's group on it, out of the lagoon with his fishing pole, and takes them to see the King after warning them of his temper.


 * Stanley Tucci as Codfish, a denizen of the Naboombu lagoon.