Taika Waititi’s inbox must look like a disaster following his screenwriting Oscar last month. He’s unquestionably one of the most in-demand names in Hollywood these days, and not only is he prepping for Thor: Love and Thunder, possibly building Star Wars ties beyond his The Mandalorian role, and starring as a suicidal cult leader, he’s also managing to hug an Avenger during his down time. Now, Netflix has announced that Waititi will direct (and write) two shows based upon Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The wording of the associated announcements is a little strange, though. Hollywood Reporter emphasizes that these will be “animated event series,” and that wording doesn’t spring from nowhere. Back in November, Netflix declared on Twitter that multiple animated event series based upon Roald Dahl’s works were in development for their platform. Those projects would also include series inspired by Matlida and The BFG, to “be reimagined for a new generation.” What does “event series” mean, though? Marketing folks like to use that term to describe short-run series that are widely marketed (and possibly spinoffs of larger series) to draw huge audiences during specific time periods like sweeps. The term has also been tossed around to describe those rare juggernaut series that everyone watches weekly, and live, as they happen. Like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, and (to a degree, arguably) Watchmen.
How does Netflix plan to event-ize animated series from Taika Waititi? Would this show surface on a weekly basis, rather than through bingeable seasons? This seems like an unlikely programming strategy, but one never knows. Regardless, the details on the second, Oompa-Loompa-focused series do sound intriguing:
The first series will be based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, while the second is described as a wholly original take on the Oompa-Loompas, the small song-loving humans who worked in Willy Wonka’s infamous factory.
So, Taiki Waititi is the new king of weird, officially, taking over after Tim Burton last handled the franchise? This checks out.
(Via Hollywood Reporter)
