TAGGED AS: Netflix
Roald Dahl’s stories have entertained children for decades, and now the British author’s creations will see new life for a new generation thanks to Netflix. The streaming service announced an entire slate of original animated event series based on Dahl’s iconic characters, including The BFG, Matilda, Willy Wonka, and many more.
Dahl’s stories have been brought to life on stage and in films, and now the author’s entire library — including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and other beloved titles — will get their very own “premium animated event series and specials,” per Netflix, which has teamed up with The Roald Dahl Story Company for the venture. “Netflix intends to remain faithful to the quintessential spirit and tone of Dahl while also building out an imaginative story universe that expands far beyond the pages of the books themselves,” the press release reads.
Dahl’s widow, Felicity Dahl, is also on board for the project.
“Our mission, which is purposefully lofty, is for as many children as possible around the world to experience the unique magic and positive message of Roald Dahl’s stories,” she said in a statement. “This partnership with Netflix marks a significant move toward making that possible and is an incredibly exciting new chapter for the Roald Dahl Story Company. Roald would, I know, be thrilled.”
(Photo by Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Additional stories set for adaptation are Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, George’s Marvellous Medicine, Boy – Tales of Childhood, Going Solo, The Enormous Crocodile, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Henry Sugar, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Esio Trot, Dirty Beasts, and Rhyme Stew. Production on the first series will begin in 2019 with “the highest quality creative, visual, and writing teams,” though there’s no word on which story is up first.
Dahl’s work has been brought to life on the big screen beginning with 1965’s 36 Hours, though the first (and perhaps best-known) family film was 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Other notable adaptations include 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, two versions of The BFG (in 1989 and 2016), 1990’s The Witches, 1996’s Matilda and James and the Giant Peach, and 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox.
