The streaming giant Netflix have acquired the full works of Roald Dahl, the children’s author who wrote titles such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, Fantastic Mr Fox and The BFG amongst others.

Netflix already had a three-year deal in place with the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSG) to licence 16 of his books.

According to the Guardian Netflix’s total production budget under the existing licensing deal was reported in 2018 to be $500m-$1bn. 

Their investment in buying a back catalogue of potential content is rare for Netflix, who have made their name producing their own films and TV series.

However, the potential audience for Roald Dahl adaptations could be a smart choice, considering his books have been translated into 63 different languages and have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.

Netflix 'excited' to be bringing Roald Dahl classics to life

In a tweet published on the Netflix UK Twitter account today, the company said they were “excited” to be “joining forces” with the RDSG to bring the classic stories to life in a new way.

It read: “In addition to projects coming under this new partnership, Netflix and the RDSC have already begun to work on Roald Dahl’s timeless stories told through a new lens.”

This accompanied a video of a Wonka chocolate bar unwrapping to reveal a Netflix golden ticket, with it saying on the back “There is no knowing what we shall see.”

Projects already in the works include a series based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by director Taika Waititi.