J.K. Rowling Meets Roald Dahl In Forgotten Fantasy Movie That's Now A Streaming Sensation

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, , Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on . He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

Roald Dahl in a forgotten fantasy movie that's suddenly become a streaming sensation 12 years after its original release. Some of the best fantasy movies of all time include a variety of adaptations pulled from the works of both authors. The Harry Potter movies and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory are some of the most prominent of each author's career. Dahl's work, in particular, has been adapted into a number of The Boxtrolls. Animated by Laika, the 2014 movie is set in the fictional European country Norvenia, following a young boy named Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright) who was raised by mythical, cardboard-wearing troll creatures called Boxtrolls. The movie follows his attempt to save their society from destruction by humans, learning a lot about life along the way. The Boxtrolls reviews were positive when released, a precursor to its modern day success.

Why The Boxtrolls Is Now A Streaming Sensation

According to data from September 10, 2026, The Boxtrolls is now a major streaming hit on Disney+. Based on the numbers, the movie has become Number 10 in both the United States and Japan, earning a sizable global audience in the process. The film's release on the platform worldwide has aided in this success rate, something that's further reflected in its storyline. The use of fantastical elements in a realistic, European setting echoes Rowling and Dahl's work, particularly with the way the unexplained meshes with reality.

The movie is also a rather forgotten children's film, with its box office nothing like Disney's animated juggernauts. Upon release, The Boxtrolls earned $108 million against a $60 million budget, making it a general success, but nothing like larger animated movies. Although the movie is an older release, its performance on Disney+ shows how much it still resonates with audiences. It has the heart Laika is known for delivering to its stop-motion, which makes it another impressive entry under their belt.

It's Not Laika's Only Film Crushing On Streaming

The Boxtrolls isn't even the only Wildwood, Laika's next stop-motion movie and the studio's most ambitious project to date. Thanks to this fantasy film's success, it seems Laika will continue to be an important name in the industry.