Roald Dahl Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Extraction 2 was No. 1 on Netflix’s English-language film list for the week of June 26-July 2, its third straight week at the top, with 17.5M views.

BLACKPINK fan.The actor took his daughter and her friends to see the K-pop band at BST Hyde Park on Sunday (July 2) – and ended up becoming a firm “Blink”.“Very grateful to three eleven year olds for taking me to see @BLACKPINK yesterday. Am rabid Blink now.

Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien appeared make-up-free as she shared a backstage snap from her second job away from the soap. Fans best know the actress for playing Sarah Barlow in the ITV soap and her character is currently the centre of the action on-screen after her affair was exposed.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ is moving into the contemporary UK thriller space with the greenlight of a series based on Alex Dahl’s parents-worst-nightmare novel Playdate.

Wes Anderson has stated that Netflix was the perfect place for his new short film, because “it’s not really a movie”.The director, whose new film Asteroid City will arrive in cinemas later this month, has directed a Roald Dahl adaptation for the streaming service, which is set to be released later this year.Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which is based on Dahl’s short story collection from 1977, stars Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ben Kingsley.In a new interview with IndieWire, the director revealed that his new film will be just 37 minutes long. He said that he had wanted to adapt the short story collection for 20 years, but “by the time I was ready to do it”, the rights to Dahl’s works had been sold to Netflix.“Suddenly, in essence, there was nowhere else you could do it since they own it,” Anderson said, suggesting he only worked with Netflix because he had no choice.The director then added: “But beyond it, because it’s a 37-minute movie, [Netflix] was the perfect place to do it because it’s not really a movie.”Anderson said that he “had only a good experience with Netflix”, but added: “I’m very happy to be putting Asteroid City in cinemas.

With “Asteroid City” starting its limited theatrical release this weekend before going wide on June 23, Wes Anderson looks ahead to upcoming projects. And while he already has another projected line up he wants to shoot this Fall, before that comes “The Wonderful Life Of Henry Sugar.” The filmmaker’s Roald Dahl adaptation with Netflix is already in the can, but Variety reports (via IndieWire) that it’s less a feature film than a glorified short.

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentGlenda Jackson, who segued from a successful actress — Oscars for “Women in Love” and “A Touch of Class” and two Emmys for “Elizabeth R” — into a 23-year career as member of the U.K.’s House of Commons, has died. She was 87.  Jackson died after a brief illness at her home in London, her agent Lionel Larner said. “Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side. She recently completed filming ‘The Great Escaper’ in which she co-starred with Michael Caine,” Larner said in a statement. Aside from her prize-winning roles, Jackson gave terrific performances in such films as 1967’s “Marat/Sade” (as Charlotte Corday), “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (1971, as a member of a bisexual love triangle) and on TV in “The Patricia Neal Story,” a 1981 work about that actress’s stroke and recovery with husband Roald Dahl. A defining role in Jackson’s career was Queen Elizabeth I in the six-episode 1971 TV miniseries “Elizabeth R,” in which the character aged from teenage girl to old woman. She also played Elizabeth in the film “Mary, Queen of Scots,” opposite Vanessa Redgrave, that same year.

It’s a second strong week at Number 1 on the Official Film Chart for John Wick: Chapter 4.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Wes Anderson announced in an interview with IndieWire that his upcoming Netflix movie “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” based on Roald Dahl’s 1977 short story collection, will only be 37 minutes long. The film is Anderson’s second Dahl adaptation after “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley. Notably, “Henry Sugar” marks Anderson’s first Netflix original. He told IndieWire that collaborating with the streamer was more out of necessity than personal preference. “In my case it’s a little bit of a weird thing,” Anderson said about partnering with Netflix. “I knew Roald Dahl since before we made ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’ I met Lindsay Dahl, his widow, when we were shooting ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ like 20 years ago. For years I wanted to do ‘Henry Sugar.’ They set this story aside for me because I was friends with them. Lindsay kind of handed the torch to Luke, Dahl’s grandson. So I had this waiting for me. But I really couldn’t figure out the approach. I knew what I liked in the story was the writing of it, Dahl’s words. I couldn’t find the answer, and then suddenly I did. It’s not a feature film. It’s like 37 minutes or something. But by the time I was ready to do it, the Dahl family no longer had the rights at all. They had sold the whole deal to Netflix.”

John Wick: Chapter 4 crashes straight in at Number 1 on the Official Film Chart.

Every up and down, every joy and heartbreak of Queen Camilla’s life has played out like the storyline of a best-selling novel. It’s fitting, then, that books have been her comfort. Reading, Her Majesty has explained, has often been her salvation.

Here we go! The star-studded Super Mario Bros Movie lands straight in at Number 1 on the Official Film Chart.

Gregg Goldstein When you think of Rupert Friend, chances are you remember his five seasons as CIA operative Peter Quinn on “Homeland” or his turn as the Grand Inquisitor on “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” But recently he’s become the latest member of Wes Anderson’s acting troupe, following up his role in 2021’s “The French Dispatch” with the Cannes Palme d’Or contender “Asteroid City” and the Roald Dahl anthology “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” now in post-production at Netflix. Variety spoke with the U.K.-born actor about his eclectic career, his upcoming feature writing/directing debut and why he had a “revelation” that he should be the next James Bond. What’s your role in “Asteroid City,” and what can we expect from the film?

Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley (Wonder Man) and Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon) are set to star opposite Dave Bautista in The Killer’s Game, the action comedy that JJ Perry is helming for Lionsgate, which heads into production this summer. Their roles are being kept under wraps.

Marie Lu is showing her fangirl side.

Timothée Chalamet is gearing up to showcase his multiple talents on Wonka, a prequel musical film based on the characters from Roal Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Mara Wilson is opening up about being in the public eye as a child actor having starred in hit films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Timothée Chalamet is playing the world’s most famous chocolatier in Warner Bros.’ upcoming musical “Wonka,” but it wasn’t necessarily the Roald Dahl source material that sparked his interest in joining the project. The Oscar nominee told Vogue magazine that he was drawn to playing Willy Wonka for the simple reason of making a movie for a younger, more optimistic demographic of moviegoers. “To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy,” Chalamet said. “That’s why I was drawn to it. In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there’s so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate.”

Mara Wilson has said she received inappropriate messages from men when the actress was just 12 years old. Mara is best known for starring in a series of 90s classics including Mrs Doubtfire, Matilda and Miracle On 34th Street, and shot to fame at a young age as a result. She was only nine years old when she starred alongside Danny DeVito in the well-loved adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book.

Tom Hanks has said he would boycott books rewritten to reflect any “modern sensitivities”.Recently, book publisher Puffin announced that Roald Dahl’s books were being edited to remove language deemed offensive in order to make sure the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”.Words such as “fat” and “ugly” were removed and there have also been alterations made in relation to subjects such as gender, race and mental health.The decision sparked discourse online and in the press about censorship, creative freedom and treating certain creative works with outdated language as a product of its time.Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Hanks, who has recently published his debut novel, said of the censorship: ‘Well, I’m of the opinion that we’re all grown-ups here. And we understand the time and the place and when these things were written. And it’s not very hard at all to say: that doesn’t quite fly right now, does it?”He continued: “Let’s have faith in our own sensibilities here, instead of having somebody decide what we may or may not be offended by.“…Let me decide what I am offended by and not offended by.

Naman Ramachandran Tom Hanks is all for Idris Elba to play the next James Bond. “Understand this, James Bond has a licence to kill. I would issue that licence to Idris Elba just based on the work that I’ve seen him do,” Hanks told BBC News. Hanks was speaking to BBC News to promote his first novel “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece,” about the making of a big-budget Hollywood superhero movie, spanning 80 years of a changing America and featuring characters including a troubled soldier returning from war, a young boy with an artistic gift, an inspired and eccentric director, a pompous film star on the rise, a tireless production assistant and film crew members.

It’s one month at Number 1 for Avatar: The Way of Water which floats into its fourth week at the top.

Wonka, resulting in stomach cramps.The actor is set to portray a young Willy Wonka in the upcoming musical, which will be released later this year (December 15). The long-awaited film is the third film adaptation to be made of Roald Dahl’s popular children’s book Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.Speaking at CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week (via Variety), Chalamet revealed that he swam in real melted chocolate while filming.But despite his chocolate and sweetie-induced stomach cramps, the actor called the role “a dream come true”.He described past interpretations of Willy Wonka as “cynical”, before adding that “this is a Willy that’s full of joy and hope and desire to become the greatest chocolatier.”The character was first portrayed by Gene Wilder in the 1971 adaptation, and then again by Johnny Depp in 2005’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton.Elsewhere at CinemaCon, a first-look trailer for Wonka revealed that Hugh Grant will play one of the Oompa-Loompas serving the chocolatier.In the extended footage, which was shown to exhibitors at the event, the fictional sweet treat developer comes across the Oompa-Loompa (Grant), who is trapped in a glass jar, and later hires him to work in his factory.The footage also paid homage to Singin’ In the Rain – showing Chalamet singing, dancing and spinning around a light pole while searching for magical recipes.

Hugh Grant has been revealed as playing an Oompa-Loompa in the upcoming film Wonka.Set for release later this year (December 15) via Warner Bros., the long-awaited film is the third film adaptation to be made of Roald Dahl’s popular children’s book Charlie And The Chocolate Factory – and will feature Timothée Chalamet as the character Willy Wonka.Now, following the release of a new trailer at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, it has been revealed that Notting Hill actor Hugh Grant will be playing the role of one of Wonka’s Oompa-Loompas.In the extended footage, which was shown to exhibitors yesterday (April 15), the fictional sweet treat developer comes across the Oompa-Loompa (Grant), who is trapped in a glass jar, and later hires him to work in his factory.The footage also paid homage to Singin’ In the Rain – showing Chalamet singing, dancing and spinning around a light pole while searching for magical recipes. It also provided the audience with a glimpse into Olivia Colman’s character as a Cockney innkeeper and Sally Hawkins as Wonka’s mother.Although specifics about the film remain sparse, it has been confirmed that Wonka will not feature Charlie, nor other characters who are presented with the opportunity to visit the heavily guarded chocolate factory.

hit 1982 film “E.T.” that showed government agents armed with guns.The scene ultimately didn’t make it into the 2002 re-release of the film and instead had the guns replaced with walkie talkies.“That was a mistake. That was a mistake,” he said at the Time 100 Summit Tuesday, adding, “I never should have done that because ‘E.T.’ was a product of its era.”“No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily or being forced to peer through.”“‘E.T.’ was a film that I was sensitive to the fact that the federal agents were approaching kids with firearms exposed and I thought I would change the guns into walkie talkies.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Steven Spielberg participated in a masterclass at the Time 100 Summit and announced he regrets editing guns out of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” The film’s 1982 theatrical cut includes a scene of officers chasing young kids with firearms. Spielberg edited the guns out for the 20th anniversary release of the film and replaced the firearms with walkie talkies. “That was a mistake,” Spielberg said. “I never should have done that. ‘E.T.’ is a product of its era. No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through.” “‘E.T.’ was a film that I was sensitive to the fact that the federal agents were approaching kids with firearms exposed and I thought I would change the guns into walkie talkies…Years went by and I changed my own views,” Spielberg continued. “I should have never messed with the archives of my own work and I don’t recommend anyone do that. All our movies are a kind of a signpost of where we were when we made them, what the world was like, and what the world was receiving when we got those stories out there. So I really regret having that out there.”

Moviegoers won’t just see Timothee Chalamet in “Dune: Part Two” this fall. After the star gets the sands of Arrakis out of his shoes, he will pick up a cane and top hat and show off his singing voice in “Wonka,” a musical based on Roald Dahl’s enigmatic, colorful and slightly sinister candyman. The trailer shown at CinemaCon shows Chalamet as Willy Wonka as he gathers cacao beans in Africa and introduces the world to his candy to the first time.

Actor Stephen Graham has dedicated his royal honours to his late mum who sadly passed away last year. Graham, who is known for playing Andrew Gascoigne in 'This is England' picked up his OBE for services to drama on Thursday (April 20), having been named in the New Year's Honours List.

Following another impressive week of sales, Avatar: The Way of Water swims into a second week at the top of the Official Film Chart.

EXCLUSIVE: There’s some seriously scary stuff going on at London’s National Theatre as the venue prepares for a musical version of Roald Dahl’s The Witches that will feature book and lyrics by playwright Lucy Kirkwood, who’s also an executive consultant on Succession.

Avatar: The Way of Water earns the biggest debut of 2023 so far as it soars to Number 1 on the Official Film Chart.

More than 25 years have passed since the enchanting tale of Matilda graced the silver screen, yet the big-screen rendition of Roald Dahl‘s cherished novel remains just as spellbinding in 2023.

described the film to Collider at the Star Wars Celebration in London Friday. “First being embraced into the family of folk music in New York and then, of course, kind of outrunning them at a certain point as his star rises so beyond belief.” Mangold referenced other characters in the film like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez, saying “they all have a role to play in this movie.”And when asked if Chalamet would be singing, Mangold immediately responded “Of course.”The French actor sang “Everything Happens” by Chet Baker in the 2019 Woody Allen film “A Rainy Day in New York,” and he told British Vogue that he would perform seven musical numbers in the upcoming “Wonka,” in which he will star as the iconic candyman character based on Roald Dahl’s book. Chalamet’s role in “Call Me by Your Name” confirmed that he can also play piano and guitar.The untitled film will watch the Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter’s first ascend to the top of the folk music scene before he pivots to rock and roll.Chalamet will also be seen in the upcoming “Dune Part 2” alongside Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Florence Pugh, Zendaya and Dave Bautista.

Irish Oscar winner Martin McDonagh has complained of theatres refusing to perform his work because he would not agree to changes in the language. 

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical reclaims its title of the UK’s Number 1 film.

But with the support of the NCAC, Blume isn’t scared. She balks on the topic of Roald Dahl, whose books are being republished decades after his death with rewrites to passages that are now deemed offensive. Does she worry that something like that could happen to her books? “Not as long as I’m around,” she says.