Fans of Roald Dahl’s work should be gearing up for a night of binge-watching because Netflix has announced that they will be doing remakes of some of Dahl’s most iconic classics that include Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Twits.
The streaming service went on Twitter to say that Taika Waititi, who wrote Jojo Rabbit, will be at the helm of not just one but TWO series of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
But Netflix wasn’t done and added: “Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and many other beloved Dahl stories are set to follow soon!” But they did stop short of announcing release dates.
Fans were quick to get on the comments with one saying: “This is brilliant. Is there any way someone can invent time travel so I can go back in time and tell younger me that there will be a good version of Willy Wonka someday?”
Another added: “Oh my lord. This is the best news I’ve heard in a while.”
A third said: “I’m hype af for these series. I LOVED Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a kid and it could translate so well to an animated series.”
With a couple of hugely successful cinematic and theatrical adaptations under its belt, Netflix promised 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” in the animated series that will be the first of its kind.
Dahl’s stories have remained just as popular today as they were several decades ago. One of his books even sells every 2.5 seconds.
Felicity Dahl, Roald’s widow said: “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.
“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.”
Melissa Cobb, vice president of kids and family content at Netflix, added: “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.
“We have a 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.”
Replaced!