Netflix tweeted a picture of a chocolate bar being unwrapped to reveal a golden ticket, about the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. “Excited to announce that the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) and Netflix are joining forces to bring some of the world’s most-loved stories to current and future fans in creative new ways,” the platform wrote on the microblogging social media platform
By Yashasvini Razdan
Netflix, Inc.(NFLX) has acquired the entire catalog of the British novelist Roald Dahl known for his stories for children such as Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The deal would give it full access to Dahl's works as well as animated and live-action films.
On Wednesday the U.S. streaming platform tweeted that it had bought the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the rights to the British author’s characters and stories. Netflix did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
Netflix tweeted a picture of a chocolate bar being unwrapped to reveal a golden ticket, about the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. “Excited to announce that the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) and Netflix are joining forces to bring some of the world’s most-loved stories to current and future fans in creative new ways,” the platform wrote on the microblogging social media platform.
RDSC will retain its staff and operate as “an autonomous unit within Netflix”.
Netflix has been associated with the RDSC for three years. The two companies are working on various projects including a series based on Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, from Taika Waititi and Wreck-It Ralph writer Phil Johnston.
The companies are also working on an adaptation of Matilda The Musical with Sony and Working Title, directed by Pride director Matthew Warchus and starring Emma Thompson, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Lashana Lynch.
CNBC stated that this acquisition is one of the biggest content grabs for Netflix, which has been investing heavily into original content and intellectual property to maintain its lead over legacy media companies.
Netflix posted a statement where it wrote about the impact and reach of Roald Dahl’s works. “Roald Dahl’s books have been translated into 63 languages and sold more than 300 million copies worldwide, with characters like Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Willy Wonka, and The Twits delighting generations of children and adults. These stories and their messages of the power and possibility of young people have never felt more pertinent,” it elucidated.