Netflix is approaching a deal that will see the streamer acquire the rights to the written works of the late novelist Roald Dahl, as reported by Bloomberg.
The agreement would see Dahl's deep catalog — which includes works like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and James and the Giant Peach — fall under the streamer's umbrella, who will likely develop them into various television series and movies.
The deal would represent a serious investment on Netflix's part, as the streamer doesn't often participate in acquisitions: the company has made fewer than 10 over the past decade. Instead, the streamer mostly creates original content through a series of deals with production companies and filmmakers.
The potential agreement comes almost three years after Netflix announced that it was developing a slate of animated series adapted from Dahl's works in a deal that was reported to fetch a price somewhere between $500 million and $1 billion, one of the largest in the history of kids and family programming.
While details regarding the acquisition are still under wraps, the outright purchase of the rights to Dahl's catalog —which has sold more than 250 million copies worldwide — will almost certainly be an expensive endeavor.
Two other Roald Dahl projects are currently in development. Netflix is currently producing a new version of Matilda, which was previously adapted in a 1996 feature directed by Danny DeVito. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is developing a Willy Wonka prequel that will star Timothée Chalamet as the titular chocolatier. Paddington director Paul King is attached to helm the film, though it is unclear how Netflix's potential acquisition of Dahl's works may impact the project.
J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.
(Image by Paramount Pictures/IMDb)