Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is getting two new adaptations, and they’re both from Taika Waititi. The newly minted Academy Award winner will be writing, directing, and executive producing two animated series based on Roald Dahl’s novel for Netflix, Variety reports.
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According to the outlet, one project will focus on the world of the novel, while the other will center on the Oompa-Loompa characters.
“The shows will retain the quintessential spirit and tone of the original story while building out the world and characters far beyond the pages of the Dahl book for the very first time,” Netflix said, according to Variety, adding that more Dahl adaptations are on the way, courtesy of an “extensive partnership” between the streaming service and The Roald Dahl Story Company. Here’s the full list of titles to be adapted, as announced back in 2018:
- 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
- Rhyme Stew
There’s no word yet on a cast list or a release date for Waititi’s two Charlie and the Chocolate Factory series, which will mark the third (and fourth) times Dahl’s novel has been adapted for the screen. There is, of course, Gene Wilder’s iconic turn as eccentric chocolate mogul Willy Wonka in 1971’s musical film version, entitled Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, as well as Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, Freddie Highmore as Charlie, and Deep Roy as all 165 Oompa-Loompas. As of January 2020, a prequel film focusing on Willy Wonka is still in the works, from Paddington director Paul King, with rumors circulating that the studio is considering casting a woman in the role.
Photo of Taika Waititi by Gage Skidmore licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
