Matthew Warchus (“Matilda the Musical,” “Pride”) has come aboard to direct the new, reimagined film adaptation of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” for EON Productions and Amazon MGM, the companies announced on Thursday.
The much-loved children’s story about a magical flying car will be adapted for the screen by writer Enda Walsh (“Small Things Like These”).
The film is in early stages of development and builds on EON and Amazon MGM’s partnership.
The story centers on an eccentric inventor in pre-war England who also happens to be a widowed father of two children. He restores an old racing car that the children name Chitty Chitty Bang Bang due to the sounds it makes, and they discover the car has magical abilities.
Originally written by Ian Fleming as a bedtime story for his son Casper, the book was adapted into a screenplay by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes with Richard Maibaum. In 1968, the film was released in cinemas starring Dick Van Dyke, directed by Hughes, produced by Cubby Broccoli with production design by Ken Adam and a score and Academy-nominated song by the Sherman Brothers.
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” found new life as a stage musical, expanding with six additional Sherman Brothers songs. After making its debut on London’s West End in 2002, the show crossed the Atlantic for a Broadway run in 2005. The musical currently has performances in the United Kingdom.