NETFLIX TO CREATE EXCLUSIVE SLATE OF ORIGINAL ANIMATED EVENT SERIES FROM THE ICONIC ROALD DAHL STORY UNIVERSE

Netflix Will Reimagine and Extend Some of the World's Most Beloved Stories: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and More

Hollywood, Calif. and London, UK - November 27, 2018 - Willy Wonka and the Oompa-Loompas are joining The BFG, Matilda, The Twits, and a host of other iconic characters who have all found a brand new home together on Netflix! Netflix and The Roald Dahl Story Company jointly announced today that Netflix is extending the Roald Dahl universe of stories for global family audiences with an exclusive new slate of original animated event series, based on the books from the acclaimed and award-winning author's best-selling library, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and many other beloved titles.

Roald Dahl stories have long inspired award-winning feature films and stage productions. But now, for the first time, Netflix will bring together the highest quality creative, visual, and writing teams to extend the stories in this first-of-its-kind slate of premium animated event series and specials for audiences of all ages and for families to enjoy together. Netflix intends to remain faithful to the quintessential spirit and tone of Dahl while also building out an imaginative story universe that expands far beyond the pages of the books themselves.

"Our mission, which is purposefully lofty, is for as many children as possible around the world to experience the unique magic and positive message of Roald Dahl's stories," said Roald Dahl's widow, Felicity Dahl, "This partnership with Netflix marks a significant move toward making that possible and is an incredibly exciting new chapter for the Roald Dahl Story Company. Roald would, I know, be thrilled."

"Immersing ourselves in the extraordinary worlds of Roald Dahl stories has been an honor and a massive amount of fun, and we are grateful for the trust the Roald Dahl Story Company and the Dahl family have placed in our team to deliver more moments of shared joy to families around the world," commented Melissa Cobb, Vice President of Kids & Family Content at Netflix. "We have great creative ambition to reimagine the journeys of so many treasured Dahl characters in fresh, contemporary ways with the highest quality animation and production values."

"Netflix is known for innovative and high-quality storytelling," added Gideon Simeloff, Strategy Director for The Roald Dahl Story Company. "There is no other place in the world that can deliver animated entertainment for the whole family at such quality and scale."

The list of titles in the agreement between Netflix and the Roald Dahl Story Company includes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, George's Marvellous Medicine, Boy - Tales of Childhood, Going Solo, The Enormous Crocodile, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Henry Sugar, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Esio Trot, Dirty Beasts, and Rhyme Stew.

Production is set to commence on the first of the Netflix Dahl animated series in 2019.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world's leading internet entertainment service with 130 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

About Roald Dahl Story Company

The Roald Dahl Story Company protects and grows the cultural value of The Roald Dahl brand with its unique breadth of characters, stories and worlds. It has established a global reputation as a brand and entertainment business within the worlds of publishing, movies, products and events - and has earned a host of industry accolades along the way, including a total of 52 nominations for Oscars, Golden Globes, Baftas, Oliviers and Tonys. With 300 million books sold and 1 new book sold every 2.5 seconds - The Roald Dahl brand continues to grow in popularity globally, attracting new audiences with innovative new developments in book, entertainment and beyond. The Roald Dahl Story Company is committed to sharing the positive message at the heart of all Roald Dahl stories - that the world can be tough but, with a combination of imagination, determination and heart, - everyone, no matter how small and powerless they feel, possesses the strength to change their own circumstances for the better. A belief in the growing relevance of this message and its positive impact is at the heart of everything RDSC does. Every year, ten percent of the operating profit of The Roald Dahl Story Company Ltd goes to charities that support the young and disadvantaged (including Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity).