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Reynolds and Blanchett join in Roald Dahl YouTube fundraiser series
The Roald Dahl Story Company has brought together Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi and stars including Ryan Reynolds and Cate Blanchett for "James and the Giant Peach, with Taika and Friends", a storytelling series on the Roald Dahl YouTube channel.
The series will raise money for Partners In Health, a global health non-profit organisation which is on the front line of the fight against Covid-19 in the most vulnerable parts of the world, with the Roald Dahl Story Company committed to matching the first $1m of donations.
Waititi commented: "Being an adult child myself and having read James and the Giant Peach to my girls multiple times, I’m excited to be able to partner with my friends, the Dahl team and Partners In Health and re-tell this story to help those most in need right now. This wacky, wonderful tale is about resilience in children, triumph over adversity and dealing with a sense of isolation which couldn't been more relevant today."
Celebrities including Ryan Reynolds, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson and Cara Delevingne will appear in the 10 episode YouTube series.
Episodes one and two are available now featuring stars Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nick Kroll, and Chris and Liam Hemsworth reading portions of the book from their homes.
New episodes will be published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Luke Kelly, managing director of The Roald Dahl Story Company, said: "We’re incredibly grateful and excited to have Taika and so many incredible stars taking part. We can’t wait for people to see what we’ve got in store—it’s going to be absolutely gigantic fun."
Waititi was also recently announced as the writer, director and executive producer of two original Roald Dahl animated series for Netflix as part of an extended raft of animated Roald Dahl TV. Waititi will develop an original series based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and develop an original show centred on the Oompa-Loompas.
