Netflix had acquired rights to the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) months back. Now, the Dahl family has scored a staggering deal of £370m with Netflix.
Just like Willy Wonka promised “tremendous things” to Charlie after he won a golden ticket to his chocolate factory, it seems like Dahl’s family will have plenty of magical treasures to obtain in lieu of acquisition rights to the author’s catalogues. Some of his adaptations are already streaming on Netflix and are fan favourites.
Roald Dahl, with his mysterious and magical stories for children, has delighted generation after generation with his whimsical worlds. Netflix’s initial deal with the author’s company involved an animated series based on Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and a live-action adaptation of Matilda: The Musical.
However, the streaming platform has now decided to not only stick to animated and live-action films and series but also venture into the world of games, publishing, theatre, merch, immersive experiences and more — capitalising on the author’s unfathomable legacy.
More than 300 million copies of his books have been sold and his works have been translated into 63 languages.
Dahl’s wife Felicity is most likely to have inherited most of the fortune. The company is helmed by the author’s grandson Luke Kelly. The other shareholders are his wife and Ophelia, his daughter with his first wife.
His family apologised for Dahl’s anti-Semitic comments that he had been criticised for back in 2020. They have also announced that they will use the proceeds from their deal to set up a charitable trust that supports various charity partners in various areas like anti-hate, anti-racism and children’s health.
As viewers await some more of Dahl’s “timeless” content to be brought to screen by the streaming giant, Timothee Chalamet is now set to reprise the role of Willy Wonka. Matilda, too, is currently in production.
