Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory fan? Here are other Roald Dahl classics to watch

Roald Dahl's children's books are known for unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adults as the enemies of the child characters. Over the years, the writer's books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Danny the Champion of the World and more have been adapted into cinema, and have received both critical and commercial success. If you like movies like Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, here are some more Roald Dahl stories in movie form, and the books they were adapted from -

Movies like Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, and the Roald Dahl stories they were taken from 

The Witches (1990) 

The Witches is prominently based on Roald Dahl’s childhood days being born to Norwegian parents and learning of various Norwegian folklore. As in the original novel, of the same name, the story features evil witches who masquerade as ordinary women and kill children, and a boy and his grandmother must find a way to foil their plans. The film stars Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Rowan Atkinson, and Jasen Fisher. 

The film was very well received by critics, and has developed a cult following over the years. The film was remade in 2020 with Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci, however, the film did not receive good reviews. The original classic film from the 90s, still remains a masterpiece. 

James and the Giant Peach 

James and the Giant Peach is a musical fantasy film, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film stars Paul Terry as James along with Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, Jane Leeves, David Thewlis, and Margolyes, who voiced his insect friends in the animation sequences.

The film and it's story are both a Roald Dahl classic, with the film having received critical acclaim upon it's release. The story is about an orphan named James who enters a whimsical world hidden inside a peach and meets eccentric characters like Susan Sarandon’s Miss Spider, Simon Callow’s Mr. Grasshopper and Richard Dreyfus’ Mr. Centipede. 

Matilda

Danny DeVito's interpretation of this Roald Dahl classic of the same name, is perhaps one of the most well known after Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. The film centers on a young genius girl named Matilda Wormwood, who develops psychokinetic abilities. She uses these powers to deal with her disgraceful family and Miss Trunchbull, the ruthless, oppressive, and tyrannical principal of her Elementary School.

The film stars Mara Wilson as the titular character with DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz and Pam Ferris in supporting roles. The film may have been a flop upon it's release, however, it has developed a cult following over the years and is one of the most beloved Roald Dahl stories. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Arguably the best Dahl adaptation, Wes Anderson's take on this classic story stars George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson. The plot follows the titular character Mr. Fox, who cannot resist going back to his thieving ways, which results in his family, and later his community, being hunted down by three farmers known as Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. In addition to critical acclaim, the film received a nomination for the Academy Award for 'Best Animated Feature'. 

The BFG

Nearly fifty years after its first adaptation, The BFG received another feature-length treatment, this time as a live-action adaptation with Steven Spielberg at the helm. The film stars Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall and Bill Hader. The story revolves around a 10-year-old orphaned girl Sophie, who befriends a benevolent giant aka the "Big Friendly Giant".

He takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world. Although the film did not do so well at the box office, it has received nothing but critical acclaim. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 74% based on 301 reviews while on Metacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of 100 based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". 

Honorable mention: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

While Willy Wonka and The Chocolate factor remains an absolute classic, this newer adaptation of the Roald Dahl story was just as good, if not more. The film stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, alongside David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, Deep Roy, and Christopher Lee in supporting roles. The storyline follows Charlie as he wins a contest along with four other children and is led by Wonka on a tour of his chocolate factory.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released to positive critical reviews and was a box office success, grossing $475 million worldwide. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 230 reviews. Take a look at the trailer below -

Image - Still from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory movie