Taika Waititi is a busy, busy man — and will be joining the world of pure imagination.
Fresh off his Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay — where he was the first-ever indigenous New Zealander to win an Academy Award — he will now write, direct and executive produce two new projects for Netflix.
Waititi is partnering with the streaming giant for two new animated series, one being based on the world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the other, based on the Oompa Loompa’s.
“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,” Netflix said.
According to the streaming service, this move marks the beginning of a partnership between The Roald Dahl Story Company and will reimagine all of his classics, including Matilda, The BFG and The Twits.
Netflix Vice President of Original Animation Melissa Cobb said that it had been difficult to find “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.”
Gideon Simeloff, commercial and entertainment director for the Roald Dahl Story Company was, in the words of Wonka himself, “Delighted! Charmed! Overjoyed!’ and said of Waititi’s appointment.
“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,” he said.