Celebrity Readings of James and the Giant Peach Will Benefit COVID-19 Relief
A new 10-episode streaming series of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, hosted by the Oscar-winning writer-director Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), debuts on YouTube today. Celebrities like Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, and the Hemsworth brothers will read portions of the book from their homes.
The collaboration between the Roald Dahl Story Company, Waititi, and the participating artists (who have more than 40 Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys between them) aims to raise money for Partners in Health, a medical and social-justice organization fighting COVID-19 and supporting public health systems in some of the most vulnerable communities around the world.
Episode one features Chris and Liam Hemsworth performing together for the first time, alongside Nick Kroll. The second episode will pair Streep and Cumberbatch. Both are available for viewing now, and the remaining installments will be released on the Roald Dahl YouTube channel every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. ET (6 p.m. U.K. time).
Among the other readers are Cate Blanchett, Jamie Cullum, Roman Griffin Davis, Cara Delevingne, Cynthia Erivo, Beanie Feldstein, Josh Gad, Mindy Kaling, Kumail Nanjiani, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, Billy Porter, Eddie Redmayne, Ryan Reynolds, Ben Schwartz, Tessa Thompson, Olivia Wilde, and Ruth Wilson.
“Being an adult child myself and having read James and the Giant Peach to my girls multiple times, I’m excited to be able to partner with my friends, the Dahl team, and Partners in Health and retell this story to help those most in need right now,” Waititi said in a statement issued on Monday. “This wacky, wonderful tale is about resilience in children, triumph over adversity, and dealing with a sense of isolation, which couldn’t been more relevant today.”
Luke Kelly, managing director of the Roald Dahl Story Company, added: “Roald Dahl’s stories are about the power and importance of kindness—and as a business we believe in enacting that ethos. That’s why we support the critical work of charities such as Partners in Health who are working on the front line in the fight against COVID-19.”
The Roald Dahl Story Company has committed to matching $1 million of donations, with other donors lined up for matching beyond this milestone. People can donate to Partners in Health by visiting www.pih.org/giantpeach.
Originally Appeared on Vogue
