Kids are about to get tucked in at night with visions of chocolate waterfalls and candy-flavored wallpaper in their heads. Mindfulness app Calm has inked a multi-year deal with the Roald Dahl Story Company to develop a new series of exclusive bedtime stories based on Dahl’s kidlit masterpieces. 

First up is an adaptation of his 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A lead episode, Charlie and the Dream Factory, launched today in the Calm Kids category, with narration by actor Henry Golding (pictured, Crazy Rich Asians). And the subscription-based app plans to tap into The Big Friendly Giant, Matilda and The Witches in the near future. 

This partnership aligns with Netflix’s plans to create a Roald Dahl universe, which will span games, live-action features, TV shows and consumer products. The streamer acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021, and has earmarked approximately US$1 billion for developing new animated content for its franchises.

Calm first branched out into children’s content in September 2021 with the launch of Calm Kids, which features a range of original and branded bedtime stories. The LA-based software company behind the app has since signed content deals with several kids brand owners, including Hasbro, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation. 

Calm generated more than US$25 million in revenue worldwide in Q2 2022 through in-app purchases and subscriptions, according to Statista.