Willy Wonka, Matilda series to launch at Netflix as it acquires Roald Dahl catalogue

Netflix Inc. has bought theworks of Roald Dahl, including classics such as Charlie and theChocolate Factoryand Matilda, in its latest content deal and asthe streaming service faces stiff competition from Disney+ andHBO Max.

The company did not disclose the financial terms of thedeal, which will give it full access to Dahl's works as well asanimated and live action films.

The deal expands Netflix's existing licensing agreement withThe Roald Dahl Story Co to create animated series based on theauthor's books. Struck in 2018, the agreement was reported to beamong the biggest ever for children's programming at that time, worthbetween $500 million and $1 billion US, according toThe HollywoodReporter.

As part of that deal, Academy Award winning director TaikaWaititi is already working on a series based on Charlie andthe Chocolate Factory.Netflix is also working on an adaptationof Matilda The Musical.

The company announced the acquisition on Twitter Wednesday morning, shortly after Bloomberg News published an article speculating the deal would be announced soon.

In its Twitter post, Netflix also revealed the comingMatildamusical will be directed by Matthew Warchus, star Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch and Alisha Weir, and will be released in 2022.

"As we bring these timeless tales to more audiences in newformats, we're committed to maintaining their unique spirit andtheir universal themes of surprise and kindness, while alsosprinkling some fresh magic into the mix," Netflix co-CEO TedSarandos and Luke Kelly, Dahl's grandson and MD of the RoaldDahl Story Co, wrote in a supplementary blog post released on the same day.

News of the acquisition cameonly days after the streaming giant's commanding performance at the Emmys, which gave it and other streaming services a long-awaited artistic stamp of approval in the face oftraditional TV producers.

Netflix was the clear frontrunnerat Sunday's ceremony, winningmore awards than any other broadcaster or network. Over the past decade, Netflix has trailed HBO when it comes to Emmys,thoughfinally came out on top this year with 44 wins compared to HBO's 19.

With its 44 statues, Netflixtied the record for most Emmyswon in a single year, set by CBS in 1974.

It also won a top category for the first time, as The Crowntook home the "outstanding drama" award, andswept the acting category besides.

Author's works frequently adapted

Dahl's fiction has been adaptedin Hollywood numerous times, spawning everything from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factoryto 2016'sThe BFG.

Dahl himself spent a considerable amount of time in Canada, including as an air attachat the secretive Second World Wartraining facility, Camp X, located on the shores of Lake Ontario.

And while it's his children's fiction for which Dahl is now most remembered, the author spent his early career writingstories aimed at adults which became controversial in their own day due to blatantly sexual content.

Many of those stories were themselves adapted for the TV showRoald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected.

Despite the frequency with which his work was adapted, Dahlhad a fraught relationship with Hollywood. He disliked many movies that came out of his writing includingChitty Chitty Bang Bang, and even the much belovedWilly Wonka.