Warner Bros. would appear to be moving along swiftly with their newest remake of a classic, Willy Wonka. The likes of Donald Glover, Ryan Gosling and even Ezra Miller are currently at the top of their most wanted list to play the zany chocolatier.
Paddington helmer, Paul King is currently slated to direct the film which has been penned by Simon Rich. King’s Paddington partner, David Heyman is set to produce the film.
The 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was a musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film was adapted from the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. The film told the story of Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) as he receives a Golden Ticket and visits Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory with four other children from around the world.
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Glover, who was last seen on the big screen in Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars story as Lando Calrissian, is said to be actively seeking to play the role of Wonka. He will also voice the character of Simba in Jon Favreau’s The Lion King. Outside of the movies, Glover has recently seen himself become a meme when he released his track, This is America, under his stage name of Childish Gambino.
Warners is currently looking to revamp of some of its properties. The hope for Wonka is that King will initiate a new franchise that will stand out artistically. Another Dahl adaptation, The Witches, has a script written by Guillermo del Toro and is attracting directors, with Robert Zemeckis said to have met for the project.
