• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

BBC - Netflix lands golden ticket by buying Roald Dahl estate

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Good lord. Netflix just don't have the rights to Roald Dahl's works for shows/films, they now own the rights, including publishing rights.

I actually hate this. Netflix productions are hit and miss, but the fact a American mega cooperation now owns the estate leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Good lord. Netflix just don't have the rights to Roald Dahl's works for shows/films, they now own the rights, including publishing rights.

I actually hate this. Netflix productions are hit and miss, but the fact a American mega cooperation now owns the estate leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

While it is a little sad that his entire estate has been bought, I am pleased that we will be getting a whole slate of shows and/or movies based on his works. It's not like the Tolkien situation where his work encapsulates an entire 'world' and I would hate for some corp to have complete stewardship over what happens in that world.
 

levyjl1988

Banned
Well whatever he made is already public, seeing potential of other shows of media that can be produced, good or bad gives people jobs, so…
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
Who would sell the estate, that seems like a foolish thing to do. Just license what you own would be a better deal, and if it was family, like Tolkien, you do something to maintain some creative control. Maybe he family just don't want to deal with it anymore.

Willy Wonka Reaction GIF
 
Last edited:

SegaShack

Member
Who would sell the estate, that seems like a foolish thing to do. Just license what you own would be a better deal, and if it was family, like Tolkien, you do something to maintain some creative control. Maybe he family just don't want to deal with it anymore.

Willy Wonka Reaction GIF
Yes , really foolish financial move.
 
That's an idiotic move on behalf of the estate, unless I'm missing something but those are timeless classical works that could be re licensed each and every generation going forward this ensuring the rights stay within the family, why you would hand over your family legacy to a fucking American corporation
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
That's an idiotic move on behalf of the estate, unless I'm missing something but those are timeless classical works that could be re licensed each and every generation going forward this ensuring the rights stay within the family, why you would hand over your family legacy to a fucking American corporation

I don't get it. It's not as if the estate is struggling for cash. His books are still massive sellers, plus all other merchandise must rake in millions every year.

Netflix must have really dug deep into their pockets to buy the whole estate. It would need to have been an amount that made the family decide to sell off their legacy. I couldn't even imagine how much we could be talking.

Truly selling their soul.

Might actually buy this set now, and the future sets that were announced before this unholy deal. Now Netflix control the publishing rights, I could see them fucking with the original source material. Could be my last chance to own the original and untarnished classics.

 
Who would sell the estate, that seems like a foolish thing to do. Just license what you own would be a better deal, and if it was family, like Tolkien, you do something to maintain some creative control. Maybe he family just don't want to deal with it anymore.

Willy Wonka Reaction GIF

Dahl is toxic these days. I'll expect Netflix to catch some flak.

Wonkaverse incoming.
 
Last edited:

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
What makes him Toxic?

And he made no attempt to hide his anti-Semitism. In 1983, he announced in the New Statesman that Hitler had his reasons for exterminating six million men, women and children. “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity”, he said. “I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.”


 

Fbh

Member
Yeah as other have said, weird that they'd sell instead of license it out.
It's never good news when Netflix acquires something


Well could have a lot of nice shows and films coming.
But wonder how they gonna look
goMnn62.jpg


They already have CS Lewis and his Chronicles of Narnia.
a lot of cool things to mine from.

If they make a new Charlie and the Chocolate factory adaptation (probably a series instead of a movie) I'm 100% sure Charlie will be a black girl and Willy Wonka will be openly gay, and his sexuality will become a big part of his character arc
 
Last edited:

bitbydeath

Gold Member
Going to be worse trash than what we were already getting.
I hate how stuff like this keeps being thrown around. Netflix isn’t a group of writers/directors etc. Everythings outsourced. The crap stuff comes from the same crap other studios get their crap from.

Taika is working on one of the projects and he is fantastic.
Already announced projects include Taika Waititi and Phil Johnston’s new “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” series
 

Aesius

Member
I can't wait until every notable piece of creative work is gobbled up, repackaged, and shat out by 3-4 mega corporations.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
And he made no attempt to hide his anti-Semitism. In 1983, he announced in the New Statesman that Hitler had his reasons for exterminating six million men, women and children. “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity”, he said. “I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.”


That is rough.
 
black transgender oppressed willy wonka when?

so if a company buys an estate does it roll back or restart the initial march towards public domain? hows that work?
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
That is rough.

Very.

This might be the issue that Netflix originally had. They wanted to adapt these stories, but didn't want to associate themselves with the author due to his toxic views.

So instead, they bought his entire estate, meaning they now have creative control over all his works. Potentially, this could mean that they could change all the original stories to suit a modern audience, plus purge Roald Dahl's name from every single work from now on. This also includes the books as well.
 
That's pretty grim. Buying the film/tv rights is one thing but actually owning his body of work? Sad to see that no longer held by the family.
Family sold it
The takeover means The Roald Dahl Story Company - which is run by Dahl's grandson Luke Kelly and was previously owned by the family and other employees - will now become a division of Netflix.
 

DKehoe

Gold Member
Family sold it
Yeh I know. I just mean it feels weird for his works to be fully owned by a corporation like that. It's like Dylan selling his catalog to Universal. These giant companies swallowing up other companies is one thing. But someone's entire artistic output getting bought up feels so hollow and corporate.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
so if a company buys an estate does it roll back or restart the initial march towards public domain? hows that work?
I don't think so, at least not in the US. It's like 95 years from publication or 70 years after death of the author.

For example, The Hobbit was published in 1937 so might go public domain in a little over a decade, but he died in 1973 so that might push it back another decade or so, not really sure. CatCF was published in the 60's so it has a ways to go regardless.
 

Dr. Suchong

Member
Oh god this is gonna neutered and soulless isn't it?

Reading Roald Dahl is like going into a twilight zone wondering if this is really what children's books used to be.

Thay they're even considered in today's politically correct climate is weird.

I predicr humongous changes.
I'll have to replace my tatty paperbacks asap before these novels are abridged for Vegans or some other exasperating nonsense.
 
Last edited:

Dirk Benedict

Gold Member
While it is a little sad that his entire estate has been bought, I am pleased that we will be getting a whole slate of shows and/or movies based on his works. It's not like the Tolkien situation where his work encapsulates an entire 'world' and I would hate for some corp to have complete stewardship over what happens in that world.
You be Happy. I am Happy for you....
 

Tams

Member
The takeover means The Roald Dahl Story Company - which is run by Dahl's grandson Luke Kelly and was previously owned by the family and other employees - will now become a division of Netflix.

A "significant part" of the proceeds from the sale of the company will go towards setting up a new charity involved with children's health, anti-hate and anti-racism, they said.

It's not looking good Gaf...

You be Happy. I am Happy for you....
Errr, thanks for informing us...
 
Last edited:

jonnyp

Member
Stupid by the family. All that money will be squandered and lost within a generation or two.

And we will get shitty Netflix productions. Lose-lose.
 
Last edited:

Dr. Suchong

Member
Good for you. Got worried for a second there.
Because of Britain's CO2 crisis, the Meat industry supply is threatened so I'll probably be joining you for Turnip surprise at some point anyway 😉
Edit: Should of said Snozzcumbers 😀
 
Last edited:

jason10mm

Gold Member
Any speculation on how much money changed hands? The article says the Dahl company had 26mill in revenue in 2019 but I have no idea if that was a banner year for them or not.

So 100 million? 200 million? Can't be much more than that or the ROI would be too far off IMHO. Look at LucasArts. Sold for 4 billion-ish and has generated what, 8-9 billion for Disney so far? Maybe netflix got it for a song at 20-30 million because the grandson just wanted to cash out and hit up hookers and blow.

I think this is gonna be the next wave of acquisitions...buying up estates with juicy IPs. Tolkien is obviously the biggie that I can think of, Amazon ponied up what, 500 million just to license the side content they are using for their show? How much to outright buy the estate of Agatha Christie, Fleming, Burroughs, Howard, Heinlein, Bradbury? Seems like there could be a lot there though some of these are gonna hit public domain soon enough (and thank god they will, I'm tired of the same 5 'free' IPs getting remade over and over).
 

kittoo

Cretinously credulous
And he made no attempt to hide his anti-Semitism. In 1983, he announced in the New Statesman that Hitler had his reasons for exterminating six million men, women and children. “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity”, he said. “I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.”



Damn. I am as anti-SJW and anti-woke as they come, so my first reaction on reading that he was considered toxic was- 'might have said something considered politically incorrect or an inconvenient truth' or something. But this.....man was a cunt, no two ways about it.
 

Mattyp

Not the YouTuber
Any speculation on how much money changed hands? The article says the Dahl company had 26mill in revenue in 2019 but I have no idea if that was a banner year for them or not.

So 100 million? 200 million? Can't be much more than that or the ROI would be too far off IMHO. Look at LucasArts. Sold for 4 billion-ish and has generated what, 8-9 billion for Disney so far? Maybe netflix got it for a song at 20-30 million because the grandson just wanted to cash out and hit up hookers and blow.

I think this is gonna be the next wave of acquisitions...buying up estates with juicy IPs. Tolkien is obviously the biggie that I can think of, Amazon ponied up what, 500 million just to license the side content they are using for their show? How much to outright buy the estate of Agatha Christie, Fleming, Burroughs, Howard, Heinlein, Bradbury? Seems like there could be a lot there though some of these are gonna hit public domain soon enough (and thank god they will, I'm tired of the same 5 'free' IPs getting remade over and over).

You’ve answered your own question, this isn’t something can be valued on turn over like any other company and you work the price out off financials. Tolkien estate hasn’t done anything big or large for years, and revenue would generally be in the 10s of millions outside of the Amazon deal. But also shows how much smarter that estate is.

But to buy it? Billions. Same would apply to this, Netflix would of happily paid $100-$200 just to licence the catalogue. This purchase would be up there.
 
Top Bottom