Wonka: Timothée Chalamet Cast As Lead In New Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Prequel

Timothée Chalamet is set to take up the role of Willy Wonka in the new Warner Bros movie about the chocolate factory owner.

Named Wonka, the film, from Roald Dahl Story Co, is set to focus on a young Willy Wonka and his life before opening his magical factory.

And Call Me By Your Name star Chalamet is set to follow in the footsteps of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp to take up the titular position.

According to Deadline, the film will feature a number of musical numbers, which means we'll see a different side of the actor as he flexes his vocal muscles and dance moves for the first time.

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Paul King, who directed Paddington, is going to be directing the screenplay penned by comedian Simon Farnaby.

Meanwhile, Oscar-nominated David Heyman (Harry Potter franchise, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood) will be producing the movie.

Wonka has been in development for around four years in total, with director King known to have been working on it since 2018.

While the movie sounds pretty exciting, it's quite a while off, seeing as it's currently set to land on the big screen on March 17, 2023.

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The release date might seem far away, but with Covid-19 shutting down much of filming at the moment, and lots of movies delayed, it's likely due to a backlog in commissions from Warner Bros.

Willy Wonka was first imagined in Roald Dahl's 1964 book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and later portrayed by Gene Wilder in the 1971 film adaption: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

The movie was then adapted again by Tim Burton in 2005 (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and we saw Johnny Depp step into Wonka's role.

If one Wonka isn't enough for you, the good news is that Netflix has also ordered *two* Charlie and the Chocolate Factory animated series', too - one based on Charlie and Wonka's magical world, and one on the Oompa-Loompas.

These will be made by JoJo Rabbit director, Taika Waititi, and will mark the start of a partnership between The Roald Dahl Story Company and the streaming platform - who also hope to remake classics including Matilda, The BFG and The Twits.

Topics: Celebrity News, TV News, TV & Film, TV Entertainment

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

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