Netflix to make Roald Dahl animations, taps Taika Waititi

Netflix has tapped Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi to make two Roald Dahl shows, the first wave of a new partnership.

Oscar-winning Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi will team up with Netflix on two animated Roald Dahl series.

The first is based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, while the second will be an original spin-off series called Oompa-Loompas.

Waititi will write, direct and produce both shows.

Waititi is best known for his work on Thor: Ragnarok after making acclaimed films in his native New Zealand including Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows.

Last month, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing Jojo Rabbit, which he also directed and produced.

In his acceptance speech, he paid tribute to indigenous kids who want a career in the creative arts industries.

Taika Waititi recently won an Oscar for his work on Jojo Rabbit (Photo by Jean-Baptiste Lacroix / AFP)

The two Waititi shows are the first in a wider collaboration between Netflix and The Roald Dahl Story Company which will also adapt other classic stories such as Matilda, The BFG, The Twits and more.

In a statement, Netflix vice president of Original Animation Melissa Cobb said: “I grew up reading Dahl stories and lived large parts of my young life in those magical worlds, so finding just the right creative partner to bring Willy Wonka, Charlie and the Oompa-Loompas to life in animation was a daunting task, until Taika walked into the room.

“Then it was really obvious. If Dahl had created a character of a filmmaker to adapt his work, I’m pretty sure he would’ve created Taika.”

Waititi’s work has veered towards the whimsical, which makes him well suited to Dahl adaptations.

Gene Wilder remains the definitive on-screen Willy Wonka

Netflix has been ramping up its original animation titles recently, most notably Klaus, an origin story of sorts for Santa Claus.

Klaus was nominated for an Oscar in Best Animated Feature this year, but lost out to Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4. Klaus was considered a strong contender for the Oscar after winning accolades at the Annie Awards, the animation industry’s award body.

Among the most well-known Roald Dahl screen adaptation are Gene Wilder’s version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from 1971 and the Danny DeVito-directed version of Matilda from 1996.

Later this year, a new movie version of The Witches, starring Anne Hathaway, will be released in cinemas.

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