Netflix golden ticket
Wonka & Matilda in streaming Dahl deal
Netflix announced Wednesday that it has purchased Roald Dahl Story Co., acquiring the rights to all of the works by the children’s author, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda.”
The streaming giant said it plans to use the catalog to create “a unique universe” that includes animated and live-action films and TV shows, as well as games, live theater and consumer products.
The company declined to share how much it paid for the titles, which also include “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “James and the Giant Peach.”
The deal comes three years after Netflix announced a slate of animated series based on Dahl’s works, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda.”
Netflix’s stock price rose slightly on the news and closed up 3 percent on the day, at $590.65 per share.
Still the company may have to grapple with the complicated legacy of self-proclaimed anti-Semite Dahl, who died at age 74 in 1990.
“There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity, maybe it’s a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews. I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere,” Dahl said in a 1983 interview with The New Statesman. “Even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.”
In 1990, Dahl told The Independent: “I’m certainly anti-Israeli and
I’ve become anti-Semitic in as much as that you get a Jewish person in another country like England strongly supporting Zionism.”
Last year, Dahl’s family apologized for the offensive remarks.
In its Wednesday announcement of the deal, Netflix did not comment on the controversy, instead trumpeting the multigenerational appeal of Dahl’s collection of titles.
“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,” Netflix said. “These stories and their messages of the power and possibility of young people have never felt more pertinent.”
“As we bring these timeless tales to more audiences, we’re committed to maintaining their unique spirit and their universal themes of surprise and kindness, while also sprinkling some fresh magic to the mix.”
The deal is a major content grab for Netflix in the critical children’s entertainment sector, setting it up to compete with rival Disney+, which has increasingly proven to be a formidable streaming competitor.
While Netflix remains the largest streaming service, with over 209 million global subscribers, growth is slowing while Disney+ has made strides. Disney most recently reported that its streaming service has 116 million subscribers.