Paddington helmer, Paul King can do no wrong after the latest adventures of the Marmalade scoffing bear, so to hear the latest news that he is currently in final talks with Warner Bros to direct the reimaging the age-old classic Willy Wonka makes us very happy.

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.

We spoke to Paul recently at the Critics Circle Awards about the success of the Paddington movies

In 2005, Tim Burton took the helm on the remake which starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Burton’s trademark visual zaniness ran through the production giving it a darker tone. earned $56,178,450 in its opening weekend, the fifth-highest opening weekend gross for 2005, and stayed at #1 for two weeks.The film eventually grossed $206,459,076 in US totals and $268,509,687 in foreign countries, coming to a worldwide total of $474,968,763. It was the fifty-eighth highest-grossing film of all time when released, as well as seventh-highest for the US.

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.
Simon Rich has penned the new script. David Heyman will produce the project.