Los Angeles, March 6 (IANS) Academy Award-winning director Taika Waititi has signed a deal with Netflix to write, direct and produce two animated “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” series, based on the works of author Roald Dahl.
The streaming giant said Waititi’s collaboration with Netflix would be “based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, while the second series would be a “wholly origin al take” on the Oompa-Loompas, the diminutive and mysterious workers who dispense chocolate, and sometimes cautionary advice, at Willy Wonka’s factor y, reports the guardian.com.
Waititi won an Academy Award in February for his adapted screenplay, “Jojo Rabbit”, which he directed, wrote, produced, and starred in.
The film revolves around a Hitler-obsessed 10-year-old German boy in the 1930s, who discovers a Jewish girl is hiding in his house. Described as “Nazi-satire” it was based on Caged Skies, a 2 008 novel by Christine Leunens.
The digital platform said the animation series of Dahl’s works woul d “retain the quintessential spirit and tone of the original story wh ile building out the world and characters far beyond the pages of the Dahl book for the very first time”.
A Netflix statement said the collaboration would mark the beginning of an “extensive partnership” with the Roald Dahl Story Compan y, which will reimagine many of the stories of Roald Dahl, including Matilda, The BFG and The Twits.
“There is something undeniably Wonka-esque about Taika’s cr eative flair and inimitable sense of humour and we cannot think of anyone more perfectly suited to leading the creative charge on these first of their kind, feature quality Netflix shows,” said Gideon Simeloff, commercial and entertainment Director, Roald Dahl Story Company.
Waititi’s series will follow in the footsteps of Gene Wilder’s 1971 portrayal of “Willy Wonka” and Johnny Depp’s 2005 interpretation.
–IANS
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