Author Roald Dahl produced some of the most beloved children's stories of all time, and a number of them have already been adapted for the big screen. In fact, a certain chocolate factory has been showcased in more than one movie. Now, those stories are coming to the small screen, and it's all thanks to Netflix. Yes, Netflix is producing an original event series based on elements from Roald Dahl's story universe.
The Roald Dahl-based event series will be animated, which should be a new take on some of the characters to be adapted. At this point, we can expect to see folks from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, and The Twits, among others. What will these characters look like in animation rather than live-action or on the page? Will the Oompa-Loompas be less or more creepy when animated? Will it be easier to suspend disbelief? We'll have to wait and see.
The series will not simply adapt each story directly from page to screen, so fans of Roald Dahl's universe can expect to get more of the beloved characters than were ever available on the page. Netflix aims to be faithful to the tone and spirit of Dahl's stories that won so many kids over for so many years, but it will also develop a story universe rooted in imagination.
We can be sure that Roald Dahl's family supports the project. The author himself passed away back in 1990, but his widow, Felicity Dahl, is on board with the Netflix series bringing something spectacularly imaginative to TV. She has stated that the "partnership with Netflix marks a significant move toward making that possible and is an incredibly exciting new chapter for the Roald Dahl Story Company." She expressed her certainty that her late husband would "be thrilled."
The project is described as delivering a "first-of-its-kind slate of premium animated event series and specials for audiences of all ages and for families to enjoy together," so we may not be able to say exactly what to expect until it releases on Netflix. Unfortunately, we may have a while to wait before we get a look. Production on the first installment in the series will begin in 2019. Netflix did release a fun little teaser:
In addition to the titles shown in the teaser, the deal between Netflix and the Roald Dahl Story Company includes 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.
For some viewing options while we wait for Roald Dahl's stories to come to Netflix, swing by our midseason TV premiere schedule. If streaming is more your style, we have a handy 2018 Netflix premiere guide to help you out through the end of the year.
