A little reminder, before you watch the trailer for Netflix’s adaptation of The Twits: In 2021, the streamer acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company, so presumably they can do whatever they like with Dahl’s iconic works. What does that mean? Well, The Twits sounds on paper like an adaptation of Dahl’s novel about two terrible people and their unwilling pet monkeys. But the movie is, as the trailer says, “Inspired by the characters of Roald Dahl.” Writers Meg Favreau and Phil Johnston (who also co-directs) have put their own, perhaps more child-friendly (or at least child-character-including) spin on things.
Here’s Netflix’s summary:
Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world who also happen to own and operate the most disgusting, most dangerous, most idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. But when the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave orphans and a family of magical animals are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city. A hysterically funny, wild ride of a film (chock-full of the Twits’ beloved tricks–from the Wormy Spaghetti to the Dreaded Shrinks), The Twits is also a story for our times, about the never-ending battle between cruelty and empathy.
The trailer is moderately charming, and the animation style enjoyably gestures towards having some Dahlian bite. That’s Margo Martindale voicing Mrs. Twit, and Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit; the rest of the cast includes Emilia Clarke (as the voice of Pippa), Natalie Portman (Mary Muggle Wump), Timothy Simons (Marty Muggle-Wump), Nicole Byer (Beverly Onion), Jason Mantzoukas (Mayor Wayne John John-John), Alan Tudyk (Sweet Toed Toad), Mark Proksch (Horvis Dungle), Rebecca Wisocky (Dee Dumdie-Dungle), and Charlie Berens (Gorb Klurb).
Along with Johnston (Wreck-It Ralph), The Twits is directed by Katie Shanahan and Todd Demong. It’s on Netflix October 17th.
