JUST THE GOLDEN TICKET

MARION MCMULLEN looks at how Roald Dahl’s stories have been brought to the screen

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Wes Anderson also adapted Dahl’s classic story Fantastic Mr Fox in 2009. The animated film saw George Clooney voice Mr Fox (left) with Meryl Streep as the voice of Mrs Fox. Bill Murray provided the voice of Badger and Willem Dafoe was Rat.

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Disney’s 2016 animated fantasyadventure The BFG, right, directed by Steven Spielberg, is based on Roald Dahl’s 1982 book. The movie tells the tale of a precocious 10-year old named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who befriends the BFG (Oscar winner Sir Mark Rylance), a Big Friendly Giant from Giant Country. 1 American actor Timothee Chalamet (left) is serving up a sweet treat as the chocolate genius in new musical comedy Wonka. In cinemas now, the movie focuses on the early years of Willy Wonka’s life and Timothee says: “I do think this is a Christmas movie because I think it’s joyful.” The movie also features Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa. 7 Director Matthew Warchus reunited with composer and lyricist Tim Minchin and scriptwriter Dennis Kelly last year for a swashboggling, phizzwhizzing screen adaptation of their stage musical. Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical. It saw Dame Emma Thompson (below) as Matilda’s headmistress Agatha Trunchbull.

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Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, published in 1964, is one of Roald Dahl’s best-known works. Gene Wilder played the eccentric chocolate factory owner in the 1971 film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (below). He sang: “Come with me, and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination” as he invited children who found a special golden ticket in his chocolate bars to tour his factory.

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Mara Wilson (below) played Matilda in the 1996 film, with Pam Ferris as the formidable

Miss Trunchbull and a cast that included Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman as Matilda’s parents. DeVito also directed the movie.

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Johnny Depp (right) portrayed the character in director Tim Burton’s 2005 version Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. The exterior of the factory was built on the same backlot Tim Burton had previously used to create Gotham in the 1989 Batman film. The movie also saw Sir Christopher Lee play Wonka’s dentist father Dr Wonka.

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Wes Anderson directed The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar for Netflix this year. It is based on Roald Dahl’s 1977 short story about a man who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole and stars Benedict Cumberbatch (pictured), Ralph Fiennes and Sir

Ben Kingsley.

The BBC adapted Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes in 2016 and the popular animated special featured Dominic West as the voice of the Magic Fairy with classic fairy tales of Cinderella, Jack And The Beanstalk, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs being offered with a mischievous twist.

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Dame Judi Dench (below) and Dustin Hoffman starred in the 2014 BBC adaptation of Esio Trot about neighbours Mr Hoppy and Mrs Silver who bond over a pet tortoise – the title is tortoise spelt backwards. Some 76 tortoises were used in the making of the TV movie.