Netflix is working on several adaptations of Roald Dahl stories, including two takes on one of his most enduring tales: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Here’s all we know so far about Willy Wonka’s latest outing.
When will the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory TV show be released?
We don’t have a confirmed release date yet, but Netflix did announce that production would begin in 2019. Of course, the pandemic is likely to have delayed things since then, so we’ll just hope that it won’t be long before the golden tickets are sent out.
What will be the plot of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
It’s expected that the show will follow the well-loved story of Charlie Bucket, Mike Teavee, Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop and Violet Beauregarde all bringing their golden tickets to the factory and exploring its many rooms with the mercurial Willy Wonka.
But Netflix has confirmed that there will actually be two shows: one following the classic story and another featuring the Oompa-Loompas.
Here’s the official statement from the company:
“The first is a series based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The second is a wholly original take on the Oompa-Loompas, who will star in their own event series. 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.”
The two shows will be animated rather than live-action, and join the likes of The Twits, Matilda, The BFG and others as Netflix teams up with the The Roald Dahl Story Company to bring the writer’s works to the small screen.
Netflix has revealed a teaser trailer of the Roald Dahl collection, which you can watch below.
Who are the cast and crew of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory TV show?
There are no details about the voice talent or animators at the time of writing, but Netflix has confirmed that Hollywood hotshot Taika Waititi will be in charge of the shows.
This is huge, as Waititi was the writer of the excellent Thor: Ragnarok and Acadamy Award-winning Jojo Rabbit. He was also responsible for both the film and TV version of What We Do In The Shadows, and directed the first season finale of The Mandalorian.
Taika Waititi will write, direct, & EP two animated series based on the works of Roald Dahl. The first is based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The second is a wholly original take on the Oompa-Loompas, that builds out their world pic.twitter.com/TqIzxTlRSf
— Netflix (@netflix) March 5, 2020
The excitement of Waititi’s involvement was evident, with Netflix Vice President of Original Animation, Melissa Cobb saying, “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 have created Taika.”
These sentiments are shared by Gideon Simeloff, Commercial and Entertainment Director, Roald Dahl Story Company, who stated “In the words of Willy Wonka himself – we are ‘Delighted! Charmed! Overjoyed!’ with Taika’s appointment on this project. There is something undeniably Wonka-esque about Taika’s creative flair and inimitable sense of humor and we cannot think of anyone more perfectly suited to leading the creative charge on these first of their kind, feature quality Netflix shows.”
How can I watch the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory TV show?
As Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Oompa Loompa show will both be Netflix Original productions, you’ll need a subscription to the service to watch the shows.
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Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.