Netflix is certainly going all-in on its big Roald Dahl deal. With Wes Anderson's adaptations of The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar and other Dahl tales arriving this month, we also have word on what will become the company's first animated adaptation. Wreck-It Ralph veteran Phil Johnston is overseeing The Twits.
Co-written by Johnston and Meg Favreau, the story (loosely) adapts Dahl's tale of Mr. and Mrs. Twit. They 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…
"I’ve always been attracted to reprehensible characters," says Johnston. "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."
It sounds like this will be hitting screens before Taika Waititi's planned animated version of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, with a release planned for 2025.