‘Matilda,’ Willy Wonka & More of the Roald Dahl Universe Coming to Netflix
Generations of kids grew up knowing Roald Dahl’s beloved tales from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Matilda, and now they’re heading to Netflix.
The award-winning storyteller’s best-selling works are getting a streaming update as the service entered into a deal with The Roald Dahl Story Company to create a new slate of original animated event series and specials based his books. Extending to a global audience, these series will expand beyond the pages of Dahl’s books, while remaining “faithful to the quintessential spirit and tone of Dahl.”
This comes on the heels of author C.S. Lewis’ stories’ acquisition by Netflix, which makes this reveal both exciting and a bit unsurprising. With the long-lasting impact that Dahl’s stories have had over the years, the deal will ensure that carries on.
“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,” said Roald Dahl’s widow, Felicity Dahl. “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.”
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Among the list of titles included with the deal are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, 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. Bringing together talented storytellers and visual artists, these animated projects will begin production in 2019.
“Immersing ourselves in the extraordinary worlds of Roald Dahl stories has been an honor and a massive amount of fun, and we are grateful for the trust the Roald Dahl Story Company and the Dahl family have placed in our team to deliver more moments of shared joy to families around the world,” said Netflix’s Vice President of Kids & Family Content Melissa Cobb. “We have great creative ambition to reimagine the journeys of so many treasured Dahl characters in fresh, contemporary ways with the highest quality animation and production values.”
Matilda
Throughout the years, there have been many adaptations of the author’s works, including films and Broadway productions. It is with a similar trust that The Roald Dahl Story Company has given the streaming service permission to create.
“Netflix is known for innovative and high-quality storytelling,” added Gideon Simeloff, Strategy Director for The Roald Dahl Story Company. “There is no other place in the world that can deliver animated entertainment for the whole family at such quality and scale.”
As if the announcement wasn’t enough to pique your interest, Netflix also released a teaser about the news, which includes Willy Wonka’s iconic candy bar. Take a look for yourself, and keep an eye out for more news on the Roald Dahl universe.
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