Taika Waititi is making two Roald Dahl animated series for Netflix

Taika Waititi is making two Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed animated series for Netflix.

The streaming service confirmed on Thursday that one of the series will be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - while the other will be based on the Oompa Loompa characters. The Academy Award winner will writer, direct and serve as executive producer on both of the projects. “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 in a statement, according to Variety. 

These two series are just the beginning – Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and many other beloved Dahl stories are set to follow soon!

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) March 5, 2020

“Finding just 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,” Netflix Vice President of Original Animation Melissa Cobb said. “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.” “In the words of Willy Wonka himself – we are ‘Delighted! Charmed! Overjoyed!’ with Taika’s appointment on this project. There is something undeniably Wonka-esque about Taika’s creative flair and inimitable sense of humour and we cannot think of anyone more perfectly suited to leading the creative charge on these first of their kind, feature quality Netflix shows," Gideon Simeloff, commercial and entertainment director for the Roald Dahl Story Company, said. Netflix also promised fans that these two series are "just the beginning", with Matilda, The BFG, The Twits and many other beloved stories from the author coming soon.