Academy-award winning film-maker Taika Waititi has collaborated with the Roald Dahl Story Company for a reading of the classic James and the Giant Peach to raise funds for charity.
Celebrity Reading of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach
This reading of the Roald Dahl book will be done over 10 instalments. In addition to New Zealander Waititi’s narration (and accompanying sound effects), other stars who will take turns to appear during the story reading. These include Chris and Liam Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Ryan Reynolds.
For the first instalment, Chris and Liam Hemsworth play the characters of Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. They are joined by actor Nick Kroll.
Meryl Streep and Benedict Cumberbatch appear in the second episode of the celebrity reading of James and the Giant Peach.
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Both the first and second episode have already been released.
Watch on Roald Dahl YouTube Channel
The all-star reading of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach can be viewed on the Roald Dahl YouTube channel. New instalments will be released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 pm, UK time. In Singapore, this is 1 am on the following day.
There will be a total of 10 episodes.
Raising Funds for Partners in Health
The initiative aims to raise funds for Partners in Health, a non-profit organisation which aims to battle COVID-19 in parts of the world which are most in need of aid. The organisation is founded by Roald Dahl’s daughter, Ophelia Dahl. She has been involved in the advocacy of health and rights for poor people for almost 30 years.
The story of James and the Giant Peach was originally written by Roald Dahl in 1961. It is a story of a boy who is forced to live with his aunts after his parents die. He is given a set of beans which produces a giant peach and adventures ensue.
The book was dedicated by Dahl to his daughter Olivia.
Watch the reading of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach on the YouTube channel here.
