Phil Johnston '04 Reimagines Roald Dahl’s Classic 'The Twits' for a New Generation on Netflix
On October 17, Netflix premiered The Twits, an animated retelling of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book, co-directed and co-written by Film alum Phil Johnston '04.
The animated adventure feature by Oscar-nominated Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet, Zootopia, and Wreck- It Ralph), takes the two hateful, nasty, and fantastic characters and builds a universe around them, proudly leaning into the mischievous spirit that made one of Dahl’s shortest stories endure.
In Johnston's reimagining, Jim and Credenza Twit operate the most repulsive, dangerous, and idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. When they rise to power in the city, two brave orphans—Beesha and Bubsy—and a family of magical monkey-like creatures called Muggle-Wumps, must outwit the vile duo in order to save their home.
The synergy between the film’s three credited directors—Johnston, Katie Shanahan, and Todd Demong—was essential in pulling off a global crew working across five continents to finish the film in about two years, an impressive pace for a CG feature not made by one of Hollywood's majors. “It was like jumping out of a plane and building the parachute on the way down,” Johnston joked with Cartoon Brew. “But the right collaborators make it possible.”
The idea, originally conceived as a limited series and then shifting into a feature, is one of the final projects by Jellyfish Pictures (The Boss Baby, The Bad Guys) and features a stellar voice cast including Emmy winner Natalie Portman, Emilia Clarke, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, alongside Johnny Vegas and Margo Martindale, who voice the notorious Mr. and Mrs. Twit. Adding to the mischief, David Byrne of Talking Heads and Hayley Williams of Paramore infuse the film with infectious energy, contributing three original songs to its wildly imaginative soundtrack.
When asked what he hopes audiences will remember from the movie, Johnston reflected in an interview with Animation Magazine, “You know, the movie is about empathy and not giving in to hatred and small-mindedness because the world can be very cruel. We need to try to understand each other and not become 'twits!' That’s what I hope people will take from it -'Don’t be a twit.'”
Watch the trailer for The Twits below.