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Beloved children's author Roald Dahl paints a vivid picture on the page, so it should come as no surprise that many of his works have been adapted for the screen, with the latest Wonka, set to hit theaters on Friday. His writing style has such a unique and inimitable nature in its mix of humor, absurdity and the macabre that a worthy adaptation is a tall task for any filmmaker, let alone an auter.
Yet nevertheless, Hollywood continues to try to bring the imagined worlds of Dahl's books to life for audiences. The following is the ClutchPoints list of the best Roald Dahl adaptations thus far.
The most scrumdiddlyumptious Roald Dahl adaptations, from Wonka to Matilda
5) The BFG
No, Gen Z-ers, Ned Flanders did not come up with the term scrumdiddlyumptious. That distinction belongs to The BFG, one of Roald Dahl's most inspired creations. The BFG — which stands for Big Friendly Giant — spoke a language all his own, and none other than Steven Spielberg himself tried to capture that magic when he directed his big-screen underrated adaptation of The BFG in 2016.
The book itself is a rather episodic tale of friendship and enlightenment between Sophie and the giant, and the film adaptation keeps the story and dynamic largely intact. Spielberg is clearly a fan of the source material and goes to great lengths to bring elements that felt un-film-able in the book to life anyway. It may have been a box office disappointment due to its high budget, but The BFG is worth a rewatch (or first time watch, for many) thanks to Spielberg's deft touch and respect for the beloved caper. Just make sure not to let out any whizzpoppers while you watch.
4) Fantastic Mr. Fox
It's no surprise that Wes Anderson is a fan of Roald Dahl. The two share a clear sensibility in their writing style, and both have a penchant for archly drawn characters. Yet it was still a pleasant surprise when the Dahl story that Anderson decided to adapt was Fantastic Mr. Fox because it challenged the filmmaker in new ways — Anderson decided to make his foray into stop-motion animation with the project, to rousing success.
The editing, pacing, and visuals still had that signature Wes Anderson vibe to them, with the added fun of hearing Wes' slew of A-list friends as voice talent for the cast. Try reading Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox again and not hearing George Clooney and Meryl Streep's voices in your head for Mr. and Mrs. Fox — I dare you.
3) Matilda
While I would be so bold as to rank Matilda as Roald Dahl's best literary creation, the film adaptation(s) come in at three, though for no fault of their own. Every line of dialogue, every character tic, every twist and turn of the heartfelt plot on the page felt so alive and rich that the book really needed no adaptation greater than the imagination. But it was inevitable that Matilda was destined for the theaters before long.
The 1996 film, starring Mara Wilson at Matilda and real-life husband and wife Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman as her awful parents Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, had its moments and its heart was in the right place, but it couldn't quite capture the book's je ne sais quoi (a hoity-toity phrase Mr. Wormwood would certainly detest).
Then we have the adaptation of the stage play Matilda the Musical as a musical film. Also a noble effort, but my thoughts about this one are about the same as my thoughts on the upcoming Mean Girls musical film adaptation — if you have a film, and then you decide to make a musical of the film… fine, but you don't then need to make another film adaptation of that musical! It will become an endless recursive loop no one will ever be able to emerge from!
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In short, no adaptations were necessary for Matilda, one was plenty, and two's a crowd, but the source material is so good it can't be any lower than third place on the list.
2) The Witches
Moving on to another classic Dahl tale that Hollywood felt needed not one but two adaptations, The Witches' film adaptations, from both the 1990 and 2020 versions, somehow stuck to the source material and yet still found ways to innovate for the big screen.
In 1990's The Witches, it was Anjelica Huston's performance that elevated the already enthralling character to new heights.
In 2020's The Witches it was a mix of creative talent in front of and behind the camera that made the film noteworthy. This recent addition starred Anne Hathaway in the Anjelica Huston role, and added the always excellent Octavia Spencer and Stanley Tucci in winning performances. Throw in Robert Zemeckis as director and “Great Scott!” you've got a worthy Dahl adaptation.
1) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Was there really any doubt? It should be clear to any true fans here that I'm referring purely to the 1971 original film. The 2005 Tim Burton remake starring Johnny Depp went with the book title of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But that's about the only way in which the Burton version stuck closer to Dahl's novel than the earlier big-screen telling.
The 1971 film wisely realized that Gene Wilder imbued the famous chocolatier with so much heart and soul that he'd be second fiddle to no one in the movie and decided to put his name at the front of the title. Wilder, and the film as a whole, was so weirdly brilliant, wickedly lovable, and devilishly divine that any comparison to other Dahl adaptations really isn't fair.
This one's in a league of its own, hence it also being the first Dahl adapted movie to get not only a remake, but now also a prequel in Wonka. Though based on arguably Dahl's most famous character, the new film will be the least associated with any Dahl source material since he never wrote any such prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Made that freedom to experiment with the Willy Wonka backstory will be freeing for the filmmakers, or maybe it will make us long for any hints of Dahl influence. However it turned out, it will surely be hard to top Gene Wilder's performance in the 1971 classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
