Timothée Chalamet has found his golden ticket and will be taking up the mantle as a young Willy Wonka in the prequel from Paddington’s Paul King.
Plot details for ‘Wonka’ have been kept heavily under wraps, though the upcoming adaptation will centre on Willy Wonka’s earlier days prior to operating his elaborate house of confectionary creations.
Based on Roald Dahl’s popular children’s book ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ the story follows a poor boy named Charlie, who is one of five youngsters to win a golden ticket to tour the world-renowned, yet highly secretive, chocolate factory run by Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder played the character in 1971’s ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.’ Johnny Depp later portrayed the famed chocolatier in the Tim Burton-directed 2005 reboot.
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Tim Burton’s version vaguely touched on his past focusing on Wonka’s father who was a dentist who loathed sugary treats of any kind. It’s also unclear whether the hardworking Oompa Loompas who later keep his sweet-filled factory running will make an appearance in the movie.
Paddington’s Paul King will take the helm on the prequel. The story will be based on a script by Simon Rich, Simon Farnaby also co-wrote. David Heyman will produce.
Production is expected to begin in September, with the movie scheduled to debut on March 17, 2023.
Chalamet’s upcoming films include Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ adaptation, the Wes Anderson comedic drama ‘The French Dispatch’ and Adam McKay’s star-studded disaster movie ‘Don’t Look Up’.
