A List of Roald Dahl Books and its Movie Adaptations

Roald Dahl is a beloved author of children’s books, known for his quirky and imaginative stories that have captured the hearts of readers of all ages. Over the years, many of Dahl’s books have been adapted into feature films, and his stories have been brought to life on the big screen by some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. From the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to the more recent The Witches, Dahl's work has been adapted for the big and small screens many times over.

In this post, we'll take a look at some of the most notable movie adaptations and the directors, actors, and actresses that brought Dahl's children's book to life, and some fun facts. The books are listed in chronological order of the film adaptations.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

One of the most iconic Roald Dahl movies is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, based on the classic story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The movie, released in 1971, which starred Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, was a musical fantasy that tells the story of a young boy named Charlie Bucket who wins a golden ticket to tour the mysterious chocolate factory owned by the eccentric Wonka.

In the story, five golden tickets have been placed in chocolate bar wrappers around the world. Whoever finds these tickets will win a tour of Wonka's legendary but mysterious chocolate factory. A poor boy named Charlie Bucket is one of the lucky ticket winners.

The movie was directed by Mel Stuart and was a box office success, grossing $4 million on a $3 million budget. Despite its initial lackluster box office performance, the movie has since become a classic and its popularity has only grown over the years.

Danny the Champion of the World (1989)

The TV movie of Danny the Champion of the World stars Jeremy Irons with his son Samuel Irons as Danny. Robbie Coltrane plays the villainous Victor Hazell. This is such a faithful adaptation of the original novel by Roald Dahl that it has now become one of our family's favourite children’s films ever.

The Witches (1990)

The Witches is a dark and twisted Roald Dahl tale that was brought to life on the big screen in 1990. Directed by Nicolas Roeg, the movie starred Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch and featured performances by Rowan Atkinson, Bill Paterson, and Mai Zetterling.

The movie tells the story of a young boy who discovers a coven of witches who plan to turn all of the children in England into mice. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, the movie has since become a cult classic and is beloved by fans of Dahl's work.

Matilda (1996)

Matilda is another classic Roald Dahl tale that was brought to the big screen in 1996. Directed by Danny DeVito, the movie starred Mara Wilson as the titular character and featured performances by DeVito, Rhea Perlman, and Embeth Davidtz as Miss Honey.

The movie tells the story of an extraordinary girl with telekinetic powers who uses them to stand up to her cruel parents and headmistress. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, the movie was a box office success and grossed $33 million domestically.

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Another popular Roald Dahl movie is James and the Giant Peach, which was released in 1996. This musical fantasy film was produced by Tim Burton and director Henry Selick, based on Dahl's 1961 novel of the same name. It features stop-motion animation to bring the story to life.

After James' parents are tragically killed, he is sent to live with his cruel aunts. He escapes from them inside a giant peach inhabited by anthropomorphic bugs who become his friends. The film received positive reviews for its creativity and faithfulness to Dahl's story.

Although it received mixed reviews from critics, the movie was a box office success and grossed $37 million worldwide. The film features an all-star voice cast, including Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss, and David Thewlis.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

In 2005, director Tim Burton brought Willy Wonka back to the big screen in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This movie starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka in the title role and featured performances by Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, and Helena Bonham Carter.

The movie was a box office success, grossing $475 million worldwide, and it received mixed reviews from critics. Although some fans of the original movie were disappointed by Burton's take on the story, others appreciated the darker, more twisted tone that he brought to the movie.

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

In 2009, director Wes Anderson brought Fantastic Mr. Fox to the big screen. This animated film based on Dahl's 1970 children's novel was a critical success and received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. This movie was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was a commercial success, grossing over $46 million at the box office.

Featuring an all-star cast of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson, the movie follows the titular Mr. Fox in his attempts to outwit the three farmers who are trying to hunt him down and destroy their home.

 The film is done in stop-motion animation using puppets and sets. Anderson's unique style and quirky sense of humor added a modern twist to the classic Roald Dahl novel, and the movie is still beloved by fans of both Anderson and Dahl.

Esio Trot (2015)

This adaptation of the Roald Dahl book into a TV movie was directed by Dearbhla Walsh and stars Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman. Retired bachelor Mr. Hoppy is hopelessly in love with his neighbor Mrs. Silver, but she is only interested in her pet tortoise Alfie, until Mr. Hoppy hatches an audacious plan to win her love.

The BFG (2016)

The BFG, which was released in 2016, is a live-action adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic tale about a young girl named Sophie who befriends a friendly giant known as the Big Friendly Giant. Together, they try to stop the other giants from eating children. 

The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Mark Rylance as the BFG and Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $195 million worldwide and receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score. Although it was not as successful at the box office as some of Spielberg's other movies, The BFG is still considered a classic Roald Dahl tale.

The Witches (2020)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, The Witches is a great new modern remake of Roald Dahl’s classic 1983 children’s book. The film has just the right amount of campy and creepy. This remake finds the story transplanted to the American South in the 1960s and Chris Rock narrates the tale of the orphan who gives to live with his Grandmother, played by Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. Anne Hathaway plays the Grand High Witch.

Fun Fact

  • Roald Dahl Day is celebrated on September 13th each year, which is the author’s birthday.

  • The Roald Dahl Story Company was founded in 2012 to manage the rights to all Roald Dahl books and to produce new films, stage shows, and other adaptations of his stories.  

  • Netflix signed a deal in 2018 to bring Dahl's work to life on Netflix. This includes Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, The Twits and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

  • In 2021, Netflix also purchased the Roald Dahl Story Company for a deal worth more than £500 million.

  • Director Steven Spielberg was at one point attached to direct a film adaptation of Dahl's 1983 autobiography called Roald Dahl's Life. However, the project never came to fruition.

Roald Dahl's memorable characters and timeless stories continue to delight generations of readers and moviegoers alike. With imaginative storytelling and visuals, Roald Dahl's books and the Dahl estate have spawned some of the most entertaining and enduring family films ever made.

With so many beloved stories to choose from, it’s no wonder that Roald Dahl movies continue to be popular with audiences of all ages.