Taika Waititi to host star-studded retelling of Roald Dahl's 'James and the Giant Peach'

Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi is all set to head a star-studded retelling session of Roald Dahl's iconic novel 'James and the Giant Peach' aimed to combat the prevailing COVID-19 situation.

According to Variety, the 'Jojo Rabbit' director will host stars like Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Hemsworth, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Reynolds, Lupita Nyong'o and others.

Earlier this year, Waititi was announced as the director, writer, and executive producer of two Netflix based original mated series based on Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'

The reading of the famous novel will be available on the official YouTube Channel of Roald Dahl in ten installments.

"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," Variety quoted Waititi as saying.

"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," Waititi added.

Funds raised through the book reading will be used for non-profit orgsation by Roald Dahl's daughter Ophelia Dahl.

( With inputs from ANI )