Characters created by beloved children’s author Roald Dahl are coming to the Calm meditation and sleep app, in a series of bedtime stories read by actors including Henry Golding and Kirby Howell-Baptiste.
Calm entered into a multiyear deal with the Roald Dahl Story Company, which Netflix acquired last year, for a series of exclusive Sleep Stories and soundscapes with a mix of new stories and existing excerpt from Dahl titles. Calm’s first Sleep Story under the partnership is “Charlie and the Dream Factory” — inspired by Dahl’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — narrated by Golding (“Crazy Rich Asians”) as Willy Wonka. The story will be available Tues, Oct. 25 exclusively on Calm.
Golding’s Sleep Story invites listeners into a new room in Wonka’s wondrous Chocolate Factory, one that turns dreams into reality. “Tonight, I’m going to take you to that room — a journey that will intrigue and entrance you,” Golding murmurs tranquilly in the story, backed by a new-age-y soundtrack.
The next Calm Sleep Story from the partnership will be available in December 2022 and feature an excerpt from “Matilda” with narration by Howell-Baptiste (Netflix’s “The Sandman” series). Future content will feature other Dahl classics including “The BFG” (Big Friendly Giant) and “The Witches.”
As with Calm’s Sleep Stories and other premium content, the Dahl stories will be available only to subscribers to its $69.99/year service.
Founded in 2012, Calm has found traction with its Sleep Stories among kids and adults alike. The app currently offers Sleep Stories narrated by Idris Elba, Harry Styles, Cynthia Ervio, Anna Kendrick, Kate Winslet, Pink, Maya Rudolph, Wanda Sykes, Nick Offerman, Randall Park, Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Bublé and others, along with content from animated franchises like “The Minions,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Peppa Pig.”
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