Since 2018, Netflix has had a deal to adapt the works of children’s author Roald Dahl. (The acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021.) We’re just starting to see their adaptations of Dahl’s work — like the series of Wes Anderson shorts based on Dahl stories, starting with “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” which will be streaming starting later this month.
Another major Dahl project is now in the pipeline at Netflix: An animated adaptation of Dahl’s The Twits. The film will be directed by Phil Johnston, a Disney animation veteran who directed Ralph Breaks the Internet and helped write Wreck-It Ralph and Zootopia as well. This will be the first screen version of The Twits; no voice cast has been announced yet.
Here is the film’s official synopsis:
Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world who also happen to own and operate the most disgusting, most dangerous, most idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. But when the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave orphans and a family of magical animals are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city. A hysterically funny, wild ride of a film (chock-full of the Twits’ beloved tricks–from the Wormy Spaghetti to the Dreaded Shrinks), The Twits is also a story for our times, about the never-ending battle between cruelty and empathy.
Director Phil Johnston had this to say about the project:
I’ve always been attracted to reprehensible characters. I don’t know what this says about me, and I really don’t want to look into it. Point is, The Twits was my favorite book when I was a kid. I love the Twits and their terrible tricks. I love that they lack self-awareness and personal hygiene and any inkling of human decency. And I love this movie because it reminds us that twits like the Twits, whose default emotions are anger and vengeance, can’t be allowed to win in our world.
Dahl’s work has been adapted to film many times, although more commonly in live-action. Past animated movies based on his work include the stop motion James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
While work is already underway on the project, it will be a while before we see it; The Twits is expected on Netflix in 2025. In the meantime, Wes Anderson’s “Henry Sugar” will start streaming on September 27.
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