Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Louis Chilton

Netflix signs Taika Waititi to direct Willy Wonka and Oompa Loompa TV shows

Taika Waititi will write and direct two Roald Dahl animated series for Netflix.

The Jojo Rabbit filmmaker is set to oversee an adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and a separate, original story centred on the Oompa-Loompas.

Announcing the news on Twitter, Netflix UK & Ireland wrote: "Very Exciting Thing: Taika Waititi will write and direct Netflix's first ~two~ Roald Dahl animated series events".

"These two series are just the beginning", the streaming service added. "Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and many other beloved Dahl stories are set to follow soon!"

In Dahl's classic children's tale, the Oompa-Loompas are the diminutive, orange-skinned factory workers employed by eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. 

Waititi won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in February, for his World War II satire Jojo Rabbit

The popular New Zealand-born director has worked in television before, on series including HBO's offbeat comedy Flight of the Conchords and the Disney+ Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.