Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’, ‘The BFG’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, More In Works As Animated Series At Netflix
The world of Roald Dahl is coming to Netflix. In a deal with The Roald Dahl Story Company, the internet TV network has set a new slate of original animated event series based on the books from the Roald Dahl library, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and other beloved titles.
In the release announcing the pact, Netflix said it “intends to remain faithful to the quintessential spirit and tone of Dahl,”, but notes it plans to build out an imaginative story universe that expands beyond the books.
“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.”
The list of titles in the agreement between Netflix and the Roald Dahl Story Company includes 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.
Production is set to begin on the first of the Netflix Dahl animated series 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,” commented Melissa Cobb, Vice President of Kids & Family Content at Netflix. “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.”
The deal, which sources say is among the biggest ever in the kids entertainment space, is the latest move by Netflix to bolster its family entertainment slate. Already in the works are a stop-motion adaptation of Pinocchio from Guillermo del Toro, along with an adaptation of The Willoughbys, based on the Lois Lowry novel from Kris Pearn (?Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2)?, Maya and the Three, a limited series from Jorge Gutierrez (Book of Life) and an animated adaptation of Green Eggs and Ham, based on the beloved property.
“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.”
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