Three years after “Wonka” told the origin story of Roald Dahl’s famed chocolatier, Netflix is now turning the clock forward beyond the books with a new animated feature.
“Charlie vs. The Chocolate Factory” — reuniting Netflix with Sony Pictures Imageworks, the Oscar-winning studio that brought the streamer its most watched film of all time in “Kpop Demon Hunters” — is a brand new twist on the beloved children’s novel, this time set in modern day London and featuring several new characters.
Directed by Jared Stern (writer on “The Lego Batman Movie,”) and Elaine Bogan (who directed “Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia”), the film stars Taika Waititi, voicing Wonka, and Kit Connor. Waititi also exec produces.
The story follows Wonka after he’s released from prison for the crime of turning a child into a blueberry in the original “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Having served his time, he returns to his factory determined to add a little sweetness to a bitter world. But one thing stands in his way: teenager Charlie Paley (Connor) and his friends. Facing eviction, this next generation of “rotten” kids plot to break into the factory, steal a priceless Wonka Bar and save their homes. But like many before them who enter the fantastical world of the factory, they’re in for a bit more than they can chew…
“Having been raised on the delightfully twisted world of Willy Wonka, it’s a privilege to bring his continued adventures to life as twisted adults,” said directors Stern and Bogan. “And how sweet to do it like never before via the magic of animation, creating a ‘Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory’ that’s more deliciously unhinged than your wildest imagination. If we do a rotten job, you can throw us down a rubbish chute!”
Connor said he was immediately caught by the early concept art and vision for the film which captures the “spirit and heart that made the original story so special, whilst imbuing it with something so fresh and unique.”
Waititi noted that the character of Wonka was “so special” to him, adding that the “opportunity to voice such an iconic, eccentric candy genius—if a little mischievous at times — is hugely exciting.”
“Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory” is produced by Oscar winner Aron Warner (“Shrek”) and Timothy Yoo (“Back to the Outback,” “Green Eggs and Ham”).
“With their singular comedic and visual flair, Jared and Elaine have concocted a delightful adventure that remains true to the spirit of Dahl’s beloved novel while imagining a brand new story that introduces this world to a new generation,” said Hannah Minghella, head of feature animation and family film at Netflix Animation Studios. :We can’t wait for audiences around the world to experience the magic and mayhem for themselves when the film comes out next year.”
The film is latest project to come from the Dahl universe since Netflix secured rights to the author’s entire catalogue of IP when it acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021. Last year, it released the animated “The Twits” feature, a spin-off from the book, while in 2023 it released Wes Anderson’s short film “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” and in 2022 launched “Matilda the Musical.” It’s next project is back in the world of Wonka with the competition series “The Golden Ticket,” inspired by “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” has been translated into nearly 60 languages and is the best-selling Roald Dahl book in more than 25 countries worldwide.
Leave a Reply