Almost three years after Netflix signed a deal with The Roald Dahl Story Company to make a universe of animated features dependent on the writer’s books, the organization has procured the works altogether. Netflix made the deal official on Wednesday after information on the approaching procurement was first detailed by Bloomberg on Tuesday.
There’s no word on precisely the amount it costs to own Willy Wonka, the BFG, Matilda, and the rest, yet in 2018, The Hollywood Reporter referred to sources claiming that essentially licensing 16 titles from the catalog cost Netflix more than $100 million. A deal for this catalog would almost certainly rank as Netflix’s biggest.
Under the past deal, Taika Waititi is working on Roald Dahl animated series projects for Netflix, covering Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. That is notwithstanding two different versions of Matilda, including a film version of Matilda the Musical and an animated series, in addition to plans to make a The BFG cartoon.
Netflix presently plans to get the collection to more audiences in new formats. “These projects opened our eyes to a much more ambitious venture,” said the streaming company in a press release. “The creation of a unique universe across animated and live action films and TV, publishing, games, immersive experiences, live theatre, consumer products and more.”
Before the deal’s declaration, Bloomberg noticed that it would occur notwithstanding the shadow cast by Dahl’s history of antisemitic statements and sometimes misanthropic storytelling. The Dahl Family and the Roald Dahl Story Company released an apology for the remarks in 2020, saying, “We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words.”
