Roald Dahl‘s classic children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is getting adapted into a graphic novel, by writer Insha Fitzpatrick (Who Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?: Rosa Parks), and artist Kitt Thomas (Stacey’s Extraordinary Words). Due out from Viking Books for Young Readers on April 6, 2027, the book will retell the story of the impoverished young boy Charlie Bucket, who wins a Golden Ticket for a tour of the reclusive Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
In a Publishers Weekly exclusive, Fitzpatrick says, “It was such a rare treat to adapt one of my favorite books from childhood into a graphic novel, and I’m more than honored to have found the Golden Ticket to do so. I want readers to see events through Charlie’s eyes and to appreciate what all of it means to him. I hope they embrace that, despite hardship, being kind, hopeful, and unapologetically you will truly bring you all the magnificent gifts you were meant to have.”
Thomas adds, “Insha laid all the groundwork that allowed me to bring this story to life with my pen, and I couldn’t be more proud to share this work with the world. Dahl’s novel has stood the test of time through its whimsy and heartening message for readers, young and old alike. I hope readers of this graphic novel enjoy stepping into Willy Wonka’s delightful, curious world just as Charlie does.”
The book’s cover was designed by art director Kristin Boyle, who also oversaw the book’s interior design with senior designer Danielle Ceccolini. The artwork reveals this take on Charlie is Black, in-line with Dahl’s original intention for the book, until (according to biographer Donald Sturrock) his agent told him a Black protagonist “was a bad idea,” claiming, “People would ask: ‘Why?'” Fitzpatrick and Thomas themselves are both Black.
Since its publication, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been adapted into several films, stage productions, and more, including the new animated movie Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, arriving in theaters on November 5, 2027, and on Netflix later that year. This marks the second graphic novel based on a Dahl book, following Pénélope Bagieu‘s version of The Witches, which was released by Scholastic in 2020, a year before the Roald Dahl Story Company was acquired by Netflix.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Graphic Novel will retail at 224 pages in paperback for $13.99, and hardback for $23.99 when it releases next year. In the meantime, you can read more about the adaptation at Publishers Weekly.
