Netflix to Prep Animated Versions of Roald Dahl Stories

Netflix has inked a deal with The Roald Dahl Story Company for an exclusive new slate of original animated event series and specials based on books from the author’s best-selling library.

The agreement 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. The first of these adaptations will kick off production next year.

“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 Dahl’s widow, Felicity. “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.”

“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,” noted Melissa Cobb, the VP of kids’ and 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.”

“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.”