Buckle up for a thrilling adventure because we’re heading to Twitlandia. On Oct. 17, Netflix will release the animated film The Twits — written, directed, and produced by Academy Award nominee Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and animated by Jellyfish Pictures (The Boss Baby, The Bad Guys). Rounding out the filmmaking team are co-directors Katie Shanahan and Todd Demong, producer Maggie Malone, producer Daisy West, and writer Meg Favreau. The Twits marks the first screen adaptation based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, which has been translated into 41 languages and sold 16 million copies worldwide. 

This story follows Mr. and Mrs. Twit — who are the miserable owners of a dangerous amusement park — and their meteoric rise to power in their town. The Twits’ takeover leads to an ongoing conflict between them, two children, and a community of magical animals who are determined to stop them.  

Johnston was excited to take on the project, as The Twits was his favorite book growing up. “I’ve always been attracted to reprehensible characters. I don’t know what this says about me, and I really don’t want to look into it,” he told Netflix earlier this year. “I love the Twits and their terrible tricks. I love that they lack self-awareness and personal hygiene and any inkling of human decency. And I love this movie because it reminds us that twits like the Twits, whose default emotions are anger and vengeance, can’t be allowed to win in our world.”

Whether you’re already a fan of Dahl’s tale or discovering a new soon-to-be obsession, here’s everything you need to know about The Twits. 

When will The Twits be on Netflix? 

The Twits will be available to stream on Netflix on Oct. 17. It’s the first animated release in a lineup of Roald Dahl projects coming soon to Netflix, as well as an animated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in September 2021.

What is The Twits about? 

Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world who also happen to own and operate the most disgusting, most dangerous, most idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. But when the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave orphans and a family of magical animals are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city. A hysterically funny, wild ride of a film (chock-full of the Twits’ beloved tricks — from the Wormy Spaghetti to the Dreaded Shrinks), The Twits is also a story for our times about the never-ending battle between cruelty and empathy.

Who is in the cast of The Twits?

• Margo Martindale (The Americans) as the voice of Credenza Twit
• Johnny Vegas (Ideal) as the voice of Jim Twit
• Natalie Portman (Black Swan) as the voice of Mary Muggle-Wump
• Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as the voice of Pippa
• Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) as the voice of Beesha Balti
• Ryan Lopez (Primos) as the voice of Bubsy Mulch
• Jason Mantzoukas (The League) as the voice of Mayor Wayne John John-John
• Timothy Simons (Nobody Wants This) as the voice of Marty Muggle-Wump
• Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien) as the voice of The Sweet-Toed Toad
• Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) as the voice of Beverly Onion
• Mark Proksch (What We Do in the Shadows) as the voice of Horvis Dungle
• Rebecca Wisocky (Ghosts) as the voice of Dee Dumdie-Dungle
  Charlie Berens (Green and Gold) as the voice of Gorb Klurb

Who did the original music for The Twits?

Musician David Byrne, of legendary post-punk band Talking Heads, wrote and produced three original songs for the film: “We’re Not Like Ev’ryone Else,” “Lullaby,” and “The Problem Is You.” Each is performed by the cast of The Twits. Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams joined Byrne as co-writer and performer on the end credits song, “Open the Door.” 

“Being a part of this movie is like one pinch-me moment after another. My favorite Roald Dahl book growing up was The Twits,” Williams tells Netflix. “I owe David Byrne for pulling me into the music for this.”

Byrne says he was immediately interested in creating music for the film after Johnston reached out to him. “I reached out to Hayley Williams to collaborate on the end credits song,” Byrne tells Netflix. “We both agreed that it should serve to remind us that there is heart and connection in the story after all the unpleasantness depicted by Mr. and Mrs. Twit.”

Johnston says of the collaboration: “From the first demo [Byrne] sent me, on which the featured instrument was a 100-year-old banjolele, I knew I was going to love the songs he wrote.” 

Is The Twits based on a book? 

Yes. It’s based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name. 

Besides The Twits, what else has Roald Dahl written?

Author Dahl is best known for his children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which has had two film adaptations and a 2023 origin story adaptation, called Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet. There will also be an upcoming animated version on Netflix. He also wrote the book Matilda, which was adapted into a film and a musical, filmed as Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical, and James and the Giant Peach, also adapted into an animated feature. The Witches and The BFG have both been adapted twice. Award-winning director Wes Anderson has adapted Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox into a film along with several short films based on Dahl’s lesser-known stories for adults, like the Oscar-winning The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which premiered on Netflix in 2023 along with The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison.

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