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Why did Emilia Clarke have to hide her skin color? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Emilia Clarke has made a name for herself over the last decade and a half, in part thanks to her breakout role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, which she enlivened for nine years. The British actress, fawned over by the world for her Hollywood roles, shares genes from another part of the globe.

The actress, who stands with roots across the British Isles, holds a concealed heritage that perfectly complements her white identity. That secret stems tens of thousands of miles away in India, born during the colonial era.

As it turns out, Clarke’s maternal grandmother came from a hidden affair between Clarke’s great-grandmother and a man from British India. In fact, to fit in England, the former had to assume light makeup all the time to conceal the darker complexion she inherited from her biological father.

Netflix is looking for contestants for an upcoming Willy Wonka-inspired series called The Golden Ticket. Those interested are invited to apply online for the chance to "step inside" the fabled factory.

The Golden Ticket will see a group of lucky contestants given the chance to visit the wonderland of Roald Dahl's original 1964 novel,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by getting their hands on a coveted golden ticket. A filming location and premiere date for The Golden Ticket has yet to be announced, but the competition series is currently accepting applicants. Wonka fans who are 18 years and older and United States residents are encouraged to apply on Netflix's website to compete in the "immersive factory" for a "huge" prize.

Netflix teased the obstacles contestants will face. "To achieve sweet success in this high-stakes social experiment, players will have to adapt and strategize, as a golden ticket only gets you so far,...

A new reality show called The Golden Ticket is heading to Netflix. It’s inspired by the wild and colorful world of Wonka from Roald Dahl’s 1964 book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Contestants will compete in a strange, exciting setting, but first, they need to snag a golden ticket to get in. Once inside, they’ll face challenges and games that test their smarts, toughness, and ability to handle a crazy, old-school yet futuristic environment.

Netflix hasn’t said yet where the show will be filmed or when it will premiere. For now, people who want to join have to wait for more details. To apply, you need to be at least 18 and a legal U.S. resident. There’s a link online to start the process, but other rules might apply too.

The Golden Ticket — an all-new competition show inspired by the beloved and unpredictable universe of Wonka — is coming to Netflix.

It’s another year of high-profile animated sequels, led by Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” DreamWorks’ “The Bad Guys 2,” and Nickelodeon/Paramount’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Square Pants” and the “Smurfs” film.

But there are plenty of attention-grabbing originals in 2025: “Pixar’s sci-fi “Elio,” DreamWorks’ “Dog Man,” Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol,” and Laika’s highly anticipated “Wildwood” (a tentative release). In addition, Netflix delivers another diverse slate: “In Your Dreams,” “K-Pop: Demon Hunters”, “Lost in Starlight” (the streamer’s first Korean-language animated film), “Plankton: The Movie” (with Nickelodeon), “Pookoo” (with Skydance Animation), and “The Twits” from Roald Dahl. Plus, Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures offer the theatrical anime event of the year with “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” (“Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle”).

Additionally, there are three Oscar-qualifying holdovers from 2024: “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” “The Colors Within,” and “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie...

Netflix has emerged victorious in the bidding war for Lena Dunham’s new rom-com “Good Sex,” starring Natalie Portman.

The film was revealed to buyers at last month’s European Film Market by CAA Media Finance and FilmNation, and Netflix is now closing a worldwide deal around the $55 million mark — one of the largest to ever emerge from EFM.

“Girls” creator Dunham is set to write and direct “Good Sex,” which stars Portman as couple’s therapist Ally, who rejoins New York’s dating scene in her 40s after a decade-long relationship. “But Ally finds her life pulled in opposing directions as she falls into a steamy fling with a 20-something Brooklyn hipster just as she begins a promising, more conventional relationship with Alan, a successful 50-something in Manhattan,” the film’s synopsis reads. “As a romantic crossroads blossoms into a full-blown identity crisis, Ally juggles to keep these two...

Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in ‘Frankenstein’ (Photo Credit: Ken Woroner / Netflix)

Netflix’s 2025 film slate is loaded with sequels, animated offerings, and documentaries. Adam Sandler returns for Happy Gilmore 2, Charlize Theron’s back in action for The Old Guard 2, and Daniel Craig slips back into the role of detective Benoit Blanc for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The streamer’s documentary lineup includes films on Eddie Murphy, the Air Force’s Thunderbirds, Charles Manson, and the Titan submersible. Animated offerings include a Witcher project, a K-Pop-themed film, the much-anticipated The Twits, and Simu Liu and Craig Robinson voicing the leads in In Your Dreams.

“We’re not just one thing. We’re the best of film, TV, documentaries, stand-up, animation and live events — and we’re doing it in 50 languages. We’re not afraid to make big bets on compelling voices and new ideas...

Emilia Clarke will forever be known as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, from Game of Thrones, but the actor has done a great many things in her career since then. She's spent months filming a new crime drama called Criminal, as well as doing voice work for an animated Netflix show called The Twits.

in her personal life, Clarke has been linked with some notable individuals, including dating Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane in the early 2010s. More recently, she's been seen in the company of DJ Sebastian 'Bassi' Fox. But according to The Sun, Clarke and Fox have now broken up after four months together.

This information comes from "a source" at The Sun: “Emilia and Seb aren’t together anymore," this person said. "They had a fun time, but something just wasn’t quite right between them. They gave it a good go but, in the end.

Divorce is tough, but when the issue is alleged infidelity, it is even more heart-wrenching – and this is why Natalie Portman seems to struggle with her breakup with ex-husband Benjamin Millepied. The French dancer has moved on from the split after he was spotted getting cozy in public with a mystery woman, putting more pressure on the Marvel actress to also find herself a new lover.

Credits: Natalie Portman in Thor / Marvel Studios

Portman is one of the most talented and brilliant actresses in Hollywood, but she is also not the type who parties hard and socializes with fellow celebrities. In fact, after the feud with her ex-husband, she has reportedly become terrified of dating a fellow actor.

Natalie Portman Will Most Likely Date a Harvard Colleague Than a Fellow Celebrity

Natalie Portman met Benjamin Millepied on the set of Black Swan. He was the choreographer who gave her intensive...

2025 is set to be a thrilling year for fans of book-to-film adaptations, with a wide array of novels making their way to the big screen. From family-friendly adventures to gripping dramas, these films promise to bring favorite stories to life with star-studded casts and visionary directors. Audiences can revisit familiar characters like Paddington in Paddington in Peru and Toothless in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, or explore compelling new narratives like The Housemaid and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Each adaptation will offer its own unique take on the source material in 2025's promising book adaptations lineup.

Next years lineup spans genres from romance and fantasy to thriller and comedy, ensuring there is something for everyone. Fans of magical storytelling will be enchanted by Wildwood and The Twits, while thought-provoking dramas like The Midnight Library and Frankenstein delve into deeper themes. Whether youre looking for heartwarming family tales,...

2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for family movies, with a good mix of animated adventures, live-action remakes, and heartwarming sequels. Paddington returns in Paddington in Peru, taking audiences on a journey through the Amazon rainforest, while Disney revisits classics with live-action adaptations of Snow White and Lilo & Stitch. Animated features like Elio and Wildwood promise imaginative storytelling, while Dog Man offers a humorous and action-packed take on Dav Pilkeys beloved graphic novel series.

Sequels like Zootopia 2 and The Bad Guys 2 will expand on fan-favorite stories, delivering fresh mysteries, humor, and action. The Smurfs Movie brings nostalgia with a modern twist, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants promises hilarity. Films like Paul Martin and the Magic Magnifying Glass and In Your Dreams will add whimsical tales of self-discovery, ensuring theres something for everyone. With such a diverse lineup, families can look forward to a magical movie year.

2025 is a promising year for animated movies. Dog Man kicks things off in January, bringing Dav Pilkeys popular comic book series to life, followed closely by The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep in February, which dives into the magical world of Geralt and adds depth to The Witcher universe. In June, Pixar brings audiences sci-fi film Elio, which introduces audiences to a young boy who finds himself mistaken for Earths ambassador to outer space. Summer continues with nostalgia and family favorites, with The Smurfs Movie returning to theaters in July, reimagining the classic blue characters, and The Bad Guys 2 in August.

As the year winds down, Zootopia 2 headlines the holiday season in November, bringing back Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde for a new adventure in the vibrant city of Zootopia. In December, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is set to take fans of all ages back under...

HBO's critically acclaimed fantasy series Game of Thrones achieved record viewership for the network and has garnered a vast fanbase worldwide. The series aired from 2011 to 2019 across eight seasons, and during that time, the series and ensemble cast were nominated for numerous awards. Most impressively, the series was nominated for 164 Primetime Emmys, winning 59. This series has propelled many of its cast members into the limelight, but who is the most successful?

Looking at award nominations and wins, Peter Dinklage, who portrayed Tyrion Lannister, led the pack with 40 nominations, of which he won seven. He is the only cast member to receive an Emmy for his role in the series. Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen, closely followed with 29 nominations and four wins.

While award wins is one way to gauge success, let's examine cast members whose appearances in Game of Thrones boosted their careers. With such an expansive list of actors,...

Thor: Love and Thunder actress Natalie Portman ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Natalie Portman joined the MCU in 2011 with the ‘Thor’ movie. The actress played Jane Foster in the superhero movie, which also starred Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Stellar Skarsgard, and others. The actress also appeared in the sequel. However, she wasn’t a part of Thor: Ragnarok.

In 2022, Natalie Portman appeared in the fourth Thor movie – Thor: Love and Thunder. She played the female Thor in the Marvel movie and wielded the Mjolnir. So, after appearing in three MCU movies, will Natalie appear in more superhero movies with the franchise? Will we see her in Avengers 5? The actress has something to say.

Natalie Portman On Her Future With MCU

In an interview with Total Film, Natalie Portman was asked if she would return to the franchise. The Black Swan actress answered, “Oh, I have no idea.

The world of animation is one of the most creative and unique. Growing up, when you think of cartoons, it may have been anime, Pixar, Bugs Bunny, or Mickey Mouse, but there is far more to offer. Over the decades, filmmakers have taken audiences to brave new worlds too vast to imagine. Even before the advent of CGI, animators created incredible stories for decades that ran the gamut of imaginative tales. And over the past few years, Netflix has proven to be a powerhouse for animated tales. With the successful Academy Award win for last year’s exceptional Pinocchio from Guillermo del Toro, you can expect much more.

I recently attended the Next on Netflix: Animation Preview, which included something for the entire family. The event took place at the Netflix Tudum Theater in Los Angeles. And our announcer? That would be “Lola” from the hilariously crude animated series Big Mouth.

Aardman’s Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham debuted first footage of new Wallace & Gromit character, smart gnome Norbot, during a Next on Netflix showcase at the Annecy International Film Festival on Wednesday.

The co-directors took time away from production at the Aardman studio in Bristol of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl to give an update on the movie to animation professionals and students at the French lakeside festival.

The existence of a smart gnome character at the heart of the storyline was revealed some time ago, but it is the first time he has been shown to an audience on the big screen.

“Wallace and Gromit’s world has really got to a point where Wallace is just on a big inventing spree, and he decides that what Gromit really needs is another new invention, as if he didn’t already have enough inventions already, and he invents Norbot,...

Animated duos Wallace and Gromit, and Asterix and Obelix were among the highlights from the Next on Netflix presentation at Annecy film festival this afternoon, to a packed audience of animation aficionados.

A 90-minute session was hosted by producer and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates managing director Anna Higgs.

Higgs welcomed guests including Aardman’s Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, to talk about Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, which the duo have co-directed and will be released in the UK on Christmas Day on BBC One, alongside a global winter rollout on Netflix.

The Annecy veterans received a rapturous reception from the crowd,...

Netflix Animation revealed a string of sneak peeks and new clips of its upcoming projects, including the return of villainous penguin Feathers McGraw in “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” Wednesday at the Annecy Animation Festival.

“Wallace & Gromit” creator Nick Park was on hand with fellow Aardman director Merlin Crossingham to present a new clip from their upcoming feature “Vengeance Most Fowl.” Four-time Academy Award-winner Park also wrote the story, in which Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. The movie also marks the return of Feathers McGraw, the sinister antagonist who first appeared in Park’s Oscar-winning 1993 short “The Wrong Trousers,” who is back on the loose.

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”

A “Wallace & Gromit” exhibition is featured at Annecy, with select puppets from the new movie.

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke recently shared that she was scared of losing her job playing Daenerys Targaryen, after undergoing a serious health scare in the early seasons of the show.

According to Variety, Clarke revealed in an interview with the Big Issue that she had suffered two brain aneurysms in the course of shooting Game of Thrones, that required two surgical procedures. The first aneurysm occurred in 2011, in between the first and second season. Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen for eight seasons on the show, was understandably concerned about her future on Game of Thrones after needing surgery to deal with the first aneurysm. "When you have a brain injury, because it alters your sense of self on such a dramatic level, all of the insecurities you have going into the workplace quadruple overnight," Clarke said. "The first fear we all had was: Oh my God, am I going to get fired?...

Netflix's animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Twits premieres in 2025, featuring a star-studded voice cast and a fresh take on the classic story. Helmed by Phil Johnston, the film showcases reprehensible characters and highlights the importance of decency prevailing over anger and vengeance. The Twits is part of Netflix's growing lineup of Dahl adaptations, following the success of previous collaborations with Wes Anderson and the Roald Dahl Story Company.

The Twits are coming to Netflix! The latest of the streamer's Roald Dahl adaptations will premiere in 2025, with Margo Martindale (Cocaine Bear), Natalie Portman (May December), Emilia Clarke (Secret Invasion), and Johnny Vegas (Still Open All Hours) leading the voice cast. The Twits will follow Mr and Mrs. Twit, 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...

Having helped bring the likes of The Mitchells Vs The Machines, Blue Eye Samurai, Nimona, and the Oscar-winning Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio to our screens in recent years, Netflix has become quite the force in the world of animation. And the streamer got seriously animated yesterday at their Next On Netflix: Animation event in LA yesterday, showing off over 30 new shows and movies heading to the platform in 2024 and 2025. With buzzy projects including Timothy Olyphant-starring sci-fi anime Terminator Zero, the hotly anticipated second season of League Of Legends series Arcane, and Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft among the releases teased at the event, there's plenty to get stuck into. Check out Netflix's eye-popping preview for their upcoming animation slate below;

It's hard to even know where to start here — there's Zack Snyder tackling Norse Mythology with 2D animated series Twilight Of The Gods, due later this year; Rachel Zegler,...

Netflix unveiled first looks at a whole host of its upcoming animated shows and features during an event on Thursday, and Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder was on hand to introduce the first footage from his Norse Mythology series, Twilight of the Gods.

“I love mythology,” said the filmmaker. "On a scale like this, I feel like animation was the greatest way to tell the story.”

First announced way back in 2019, it's taken quite a while to find its way to our screens, but we recently learned that the show will finally premiere on Netflix this Fall.

The project has been described as "Anime-influenced," but judging by these clips, we'd say the animation style has more in common with the Academy Award-nominated Cartoon Saloon studio.

“When most people think about animation, they think about Saturday morning cartoons, or G-rated movies,” said the presentation’s host, Christopher Sean. “But animation is...

Netflix Animation held its first slate preview event June 6 at the Tudum in L.A., as a lead-up to the Annecy Animation Festival (June 9-15), where it will premiere Shannon Tindle’s “Ultraman: Rising” (streaming June 14) and tout some of its upcoming works in 2024 and 2025.

Hosted by Christopher Sean (the voice star of “Ultraman: Rising”), attendees were treated to exclusive presentations, previews, and special announcements. The biggest announcement was the full title of Aardman’s next stop-motion feature, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” which will have an Oscar-qualifying run this winter before streaming in 2025.

Directed by franchise creator Nick Park and creative director Merlin Crossingham, who offered a pre-recorded introduction, “Vengeance Most Fowl” marks the return of the villainous penguin, Feathers McGraw, from the Oscar-winning short “The Wrong Trousers.” The film is a cautionary tale of high-tech gone wrong involving an out-of-control “smart gnome” with a mind of its own.

We're just a few days away from the premiere of "Ultraman: Rising" on Netflix, the latest addition to the ever-growing animation library of the streamer. Animation has been on shaky ground for the last few years, with the animation guild growing stronger to fight for fair contractions as creatives continue to battle against the dystopian threat of artificial intelligence. Fortunately, animation is still as popular and well-loved as ever, and Netflix has been absolutely crushing it as of late. Not only did the streamer pull in an Academy Award for Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio" in 2022, but shows like "Blue Eye Samurai," "Arcane," "Love, Death, & Robots," and movies like "Wendell & Wild," "The Sea Beast," and "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" are some of the best releases of original animation, period.

Today I was in attendance at the Next on Netflix: Animation event to preview their upcoming slate of animation,...

Four years ago, Rebel Moon filmmaker Zack Snyder and producing partner and wife Deborah Snyder met with Netflix executives to discuss possibilities in animation.

The medium was growing fast inside the company, as fast as its subscriber base. One exec threw out the idea of doing something with Norse mythology. Zack Snyder, who had spent much of his career making movies with grand mythological overtones, took to it. Partnering with storyboard artist and animation director Jay Oliva, the Snyders eventually came up with a love and revenge story titled Twilight of the Gods.

“We pitched them an outline; they had a few notes but they let us have free reign,” Deborah Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter at a Netflix animation event Thursday. “They had no guardrails, no limitations.”

That lack of guardrails or limitations may be the best way to describe the free-wheeling, anything and everything goes ethos that has overtaken Netflix’s animation arm.

Zack Snyder and Nathan Lane were among the filmmakers and cast members that joined Netflix’s animation presentation to preview a full slate of upcoming animated features and series, during an event held Thursday in Hollywood, just days before the start of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

“I love mythology,” said Snyder as he introduced a first look at his adult series “Twilight of the Gods.” On a scale like this, I feel like animation was the greatest way to tell the story.” The cast includes Sylvia Hoeks, Stuart Martin, Pilou Asbaek, John Noble, Paterson Joseph, Rahul Kohli, Jamie Clayton, Kristopher Hivju, Peter Stormare, Jamie Chung, Lauren Cohan and Corey Stoll.

Also playing well before the crowd was a first look at Netflix and Skydance Animation’s “Spellbound,” which will be released Nov. 22 and featured next week at Annecy. Nathan Lane introduced the clip from the movie, directed by Vicky Jensen,...

Netflix on Thursday announced the voice cast for The Twits, a new animated feature due to debut on the streamer in 2025. Those set to star include Margo Martindale (Cocaine Bear), Johnny Vegas (Bleak House), Natalie Portman (May December) and Emilia Clarke (Secret Invasion).

The streamer also unveiled a few first look photos from the film, which you can view above and below.

Directed by Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet), The Twits centers on Mr. and Mrs. Twit, 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.

Johnston wrote the script for The Twits with Meg Favreau.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is the name of Aardman Animation’s next animated feature in the franchise that will debut in the UK over Christmas on BBC and BBC iPlayer and the rest of the world on Netflix.

The news was announced on Thursday at the ‘Next On Netflix: Animation’ presentation in Los Angeles as the streamer demonstrated the steps it is taking to attract top talent and build an animation studio to rival the Hollywood powers.

Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham are co-directing Vengeance Most Fowl and the voice cast comprises Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel,...

Buckle up for a thrilling adventure because we’re heading to Twitlandia. In 2025, Netflix will release the animated film The Twits — written, directed, and produced by Academy Award nominee Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and animated by Jellyfish Pictures. Rounding out the filmmaking team are co-directors Katie Shanahan and Todd Demong, producer Maggie Malone, co-producer Daisy West, and writer Meg Favreau. The Twits marks the first screen adaptation based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, which has been translated into 41 languages and sold 16 million copies worldwide.

This story follows Mr. and Mrs. Twit — who are the miserable owners of a dangerous amusement park — and their meteoric rise to power in their town. The Twits’ takeover leads to an ongoing conflict between them, two children, and a community of magical animals who are determined to stop...

“The Imaginary,” an upcoming hand-drawn animated fantasy film from Japan’s Studio Ponoc that was selected for the main competition at the upcoming Annecy International Animation Film Festival, is set to debut July 5 on Netflix. An Oscar-qualifying run is also planned.

“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut feature “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Oscar-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There,” is producing.

Based on the novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” is described as a fantasy that “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to...

Netflix and the Annecy Film Festival have fostered an incredible relationship over the last several years. No other major studio or distributor has been as omnipresent at the French film festival, and this year should be no different.

Netflix is planning several major sneak peeks of upcoming titles, a work-in-progress session, the world premiere of “Ultraman: Rising,” an exhibition of stop-motion figures from the upcoming Wallace & Gromit film, and two of its titles – “Blue Eye Samurai” and “Pokémon Concierge” – are screening in competition.

On Wednesday, June 12, the streamer will host Next on Netflix Animation: From Twilight of the Gods to Wallace & Gromit, a sneak peek at some of its most high-profile upcoming film and series titles.

“Wallace & Gromit” directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham and several of the film’s puppets will be in Annecy to tease their upcoming film. “Twilight of the Gods” will be presented by director Zack Snyder,...

Netflix returns to the Annecy Animation Festival (June 9-15) with a robust slate of animated feature and TV projects, highlighted by the premiere of “Ultraman: Rising” on June 12 (two days ahead of the feature’s streaming debut).

Also on June 12, Netflix will offer sneak peeks of an untitled “Wallace and Gromit” stop-motion feature from Aardman (streaming this winter), and Zack Snyder’s upcoming adult animated series, “Twilight of the Gods” (streaming this fall). Nick Park returns to directing “Wallace and Gromit,” about an out-of-control “smart gnome” with a mind of its own, while Snyder digs into Norse mythology for a violent Viking revenge actioner (from Xilam Animation).

Netflix will additionally offer previews on June 12 of Skydance Animation’s musical adventure “Spellbound” (streaming this year), directed by Vicky Jenson (“Shrek”), and “The Twits” (2025), a comedy about the never-ending battle between cruelty and empathy, from first-time director Phil Johnston (writer of “Zootopia...

Claymation legends Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham will offer stop-motion fans a sneak peek at their upcoming Wallace & Gromit film at this year’s Annecy animation festival.

The still-untitled feature will see inveterate, cheese-loving inventor Wallace designing a “smart gnome” for the family garden who begins to develop a mind of its own. As events spiral out of control, it is up to faithful dog Gromit to put things right. Park and Crossingham co-directed the film, based on a story by Park and a screenplay from Shaun the Sheep and Gnomeo & Juliet writer Mark Burton.

The film, which will premiere on Netflix worldwide outside the U.K., where it will have a first-release window on the BBC, is the second feature from Aardman Animations based on the beloved characters, following the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and the series of award-winning shorts, including Oscar-winners The Wrong...

Netflix on Wednesday unveiled the voice cast of CG animated feature film That Christmas from Locksmith Animation (Ron’s Gone Wrong) and director Simon Otto’s (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). The movie will star Brian Cox as Santa, Fiona Shaw as Ms. Trapper, Jodie Whittaker as Mrs. Williams, and Bill Nighy as Bill.

They are the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas. The film will debut on Netflix later this year.

That Christmas is an adaptation of the children’s book series (The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas) written by BAFTA Award-winning and Oscar-nominated writer and director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Yesterday). “A film of firsts, it marks Curtis’ first animation project as well as the directorial debut for animation veteran Otto,” Netflix said.

The film also stars Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen,...

After helming two enormously well-received Paddington movies, filmmaker Paul King turned his attention to Roald Dahl's classic character Willy Wonka in 2023's prequel Wonka. The acclaimed movie follows a young Willy Wonka arriving in the big city -- only to find himself taken advantage of by selfish figures exploiting the downtrodden. Determined to seize his candy-making destiny, Wonka sets out to show the world the magic he's capable of in his innovation, with plenty of song and dance along the way.

In an interview with Cbr, Wonka director and co-writer Paul King compares Wonka to his duo of uplifting Paddington films. He also reflects on the themes prevalent in Roald Dahl's writing that served as the basis for Wonka. Plus, King explains how Wonka is the first Dahl adaptation to forge new narrative ground.

Cbr: Wonka and Paddington are both about innocent figures who remind people of the inherent magic to their city.

Exclusive: UK-based VFX and animation company Jellyfish Pictures has appointed Archie Donato as Managing Director of Animation.

Donato, who previously served as Creative Director of Animation at Jellyfish Pictures, has over 30 years of experience within the industry, 17 of which were spent at DreamWorks Animation. During his career, he has worked on film franchises such as Star Wars, Terminator, Godzilla, and Kung Fu Panda, with his most recent credits as VFX Supervisor on the Emmy-winning Entergalactic and multi-Annie award-nominated Nimona.

In his new role, Donato will lead the senior creative, production, and operation teams across all Jellyfish Pictures animation productions to deliver “artistic excellence and drive creative innovation.” Donato succeeds Natalie Llewellyn, who will also be taking on a new leadership role as Managing Director for Jellyfish Originals.

“It’s an exciting time within our business for Archie to be stepping up into this new role. Archie’s considerable industry...

Wonka is primarily a prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 1971 classic adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's book. Wonka takes pains to present a Dahl-esque storyline, particularly with the villains Mrs. Scrubbit and Mr. Bleacher who lock Willy Wonka up in their basement A mid-credits scene shows them to be the main characters in another Roald Dahl book.

The following reveals spoilers for Wonka, now playing in theaters.

Wonka serves largely as a prequel to Roald Dahl's classic children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, covering magical candymaker Willy Wonka's early days establishing his business. More specifically, it's an homage to the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with the main character essentially being an earlier version of Gene Wilder's beloved take on the character. That entails not only a similar (if slightly gentler) personality and look, as well as touches like an orange-skinned Oompa Loompa with green hair.

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,...

Who says kids’ literary influence can’t expand to what they wear?

In celebration of the late Roald Dahl‘s recent 100th birthday and Boden‘s 25th anniversary, the clothing retailer teamed up with the The Roald Dahl Literary Estate to create the limited-edition Mini Boden x Roald Dahl collection.

The brand-new fall kids’ line is inspired by six of Dahl’s classic children’s books: Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Twits, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Bfg, whose film treatment was just released this summer.

“Roald Dahl’s bonkers imagination and British...

The talents of two of the world’s greatest storytellers - Roald Dahl and Steven Spielberg - finally unite to bring Dahl’s beloved classic, and one of my favourite books growing up as a kid (the other was another Roald Dahl book, The Twits) The Bfg to life. Directed by Spielberg, The Bfg tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country…

The Bfg (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans,...

After a lengthy search, Steven Spielberg has found the star of his upcoming Roald Dahl adaptation The Bfg in British newcomer Ruby Barnhill.

The 10-year-old actress, who has never appeared in a feature film before but has a role on the upcoming BBC children’s series Four O’Clock Club, will take on the part of Sophie, a young orphan from London who is befriended by a Big Friendly Giant and whisked away to the magical Giant Country.

“After a lengthy search, I feel Roald Dahl himself would have found Ruby every bit as marvelous as we do,” said Spielberg in an official statement. “We have discovered a wonderful Sophie in Ruby Barnhill.”

Barnhill herself expressed enthusiasm at the opportunity to play Sophie, stating, “Sophie gets to go on this wonderful adventure and I’m so excited that I get to play her. I feel incredibly lucky and I’m so happy.

Jennifer Lawrence knows you need more than a pretty face and a hot bod to be beautiful. And on Sunday, the 24-year-old Oscar winner stepped out in Malibu, Calif., with a bold statement about inner beauty emblazoned on her T-Shirt in the form of quote from Roald Dahl's The Twits. It read: "If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." Cute, right? J.Law, who is currently romancing Gwyneth Paltrow's ex Chris Martin, paired her poignant shirt with a pair of tiny Daisy Dukes and flip flops. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1 star also pulled hair up in beneath a slouchy gray beanie, toted a hipster-chic weaved purse and rocked pair of...

The Royal Court Theatre announces a new season of work today, Friday 27 June, including new plays from Molly Davies, Zinnie Harris, Rory Mullarkey, Tim Price and Jack Thorne a debut play from first-time playwright Diana Nneka Atuona a collaboration between scientist Chris Rapley, playwright and director Duncan Macmillan and director Katie Mitchell and a new production for young people and their families - Enda Walsh's new adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Twits.

Mark Harrison Sep 13, 2016

From James Bond to Willy Wonka, Matilda to The Witches, we chart the big screen work of Roald Dahl...

Roald Dahl has often been referred to as one of the greatest storytellers for children in the 20th century. His books have delighted children for generations, with their dark and inventive sense of humour and their eccentric, dastardly adult characters.

Likewise, his written work for adults has just as much wit and creativity, and over the years, he also worked as a screenwriter on a number of projects, including TV work on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and his own anthology series, Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected.

Given how it doesn't even take the likes of J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer five years to have their popular works adapted by Hollywood, there has inevitably been an extensive crossover between Dahl's written work and the big screen. His work...

Feature Mark Harrison 3 Mar 2014 - 07:02

From James Bond to Willy Wonka, Matilda to The Witches, we chart the big screen work of Roald Dahl...

Roald Dahl has often been referred to as one of the greatest storytellers for children in the 20th century. His books have delighted children for generations, with their dark and inventive sense of humour and their eccentric, dastardly adult characters.

Likewise, his written work for adults has just as much wit and creativity, and over the years, he also worked as a screenwriter on a number of projects, including TV work on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and his own anthology series, Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected.

Given how it doesn't even take the likes of J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer five years to have their popular works adapted by Hollywood, there has inevitably been an extensive crossover between Dahl's written work and the big screen.

Tags: Stevie NicksSkinsGLEEPretty Little LiarsThe L WordGrey's AnatomyWAPTwilightIMDb

Stevie Nicks encountered the ire of classic literature fans over the weekend when she compared Twilight to Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights at the Breaking Dawn Part 2 movie premiere: "It's a huge love story. It’s like Wuthering Heights, it’s that kind of story. It’s like Jane Eyre ... It’s a totally timeless kind of story that we can relate to." Bronte-ites were like, "How dare you, madam!" While Shakespeare-ites were like, "Oh, good. Y'all holler for a little while. Our throats are sore from defending Romeo and Juliet all these years."

But when you think about it, Stevie Nicks really does have a point. Jane Eyre was kind of a helpless waif of a thing who fell in love with a dark, sometimes-sinister older guy who kept being like, "Love me! No, don't love me! Yes, love me!" for 600 pages while a petulant,...

Today Royal Mail is celebrating one of the nation’s best-loved children’s authors, Roald Dahl, with its first stamp issue of 2012. The presentation pack of six stamps celebrate six of Dahl’s most famous books that children and adults alike came to know and love, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Twits and Matilda and we’ve been given ten packs to give away to lucky HeyUGuys readers.

The stamps themselves recreate the magic of the Dahl books, using the beautiful illustrations of Quentin Blake.

For the launch, Royal Mail Stamps is also running a competition on its Facebook page, facebook.com/royalmailstamps, to win Roald Dahl’s Scrumdiddlyumptious Story Collection featuring seven of his best-loved books, a pop-up book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and a Roald Dahl presentation pack.

The stamps are also available via the link here: www.royalmail.com/roalddahl,...

Roald Dahl is a master of children’s literature, and I am perhaps one of his biggest fans. When I was a kid, I would leave the library with stacks of his books. From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Bfg, The Witches, and The Twits, I blazed through every one of his wonderful books. When I was in third grade, I heard that a film version of James and the Giant Peach would be coming out into theaters, and I had my first fangirl flip-out. James and the Giant Peach did not disappoint third-grader me, and the Blu-ray James and the Giant Peach was a marvelous treat for a child-at-heart twenty-something me.

James (Paul Terry) lived an idyllic life with his parents until they were devoured by a rhinoceros at the zoo. James is sent to live with his evil aunts Spiker (Joanna Lumley...

Warner Bros. is getting wild, teaming up with "Shrek" producer John Williams to develop a feature take on the environmental television hit "The Future Is Wild."

The seven-part series, conceived by John Adams and produced by a consortium of global players including Discovery Channel and German network Zdf, aired on Animal Planet six years ago. It depicted life on Earth hundreds of millions of years into the future, when an ice age has wiped out all humans and new hybrid creatures roam the planet (sample names: the babookari, the cryptile and the shagrat).

The jeremiad, which took the form of a nature doc, used computer imaging to tell its story and relied on a host of scientists to construct its futuristic world. The project also spawned companion books, theme-park rides, DVDs and games. Producers are peddling a new series with similar themes at the upcoming Mipcom TV market.

The Warners film will use live-action,...

Roald Dahl was a great storyteller, but part of his enduring popularity is because he was an absolute master at coming up with titles.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Danny, the Champion of the World.  The Twits.  And, of course, Fantastic Mr. Fox, which will soon be a film by Wes Anderson. We've been hearing about the Fantastic Mr. Fox movie for quite a while now, but images and videos for the movie have only recently started pouring out.  Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) purposefully locked down the set during production, perhaps because they were trying a lot of cool things ...