It's been confirmed that Call Me By Your Name and Little Women star Timothée Chalamet will be stepping into the shoes of Willy Wonka. The actor will be bringing a fresh perspective to the Roald Dahl's character in prequel movie Wonka, following in the footsteps of Gene Wilder (1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) and Johnny Depp (2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).
The movie will be helmed by Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King. Given that he's already worked whimsical wonders with Michael Bond's source material, we wonder how well he will fare with Dahl's creation.
Warner Bros and producer David Heyman will be collaborating on the project, having spun gold out of the Harry Potter franchise. (Heyman also produced the two Paddington films.) Exact plot details are unknown but Variety indicates "the upcoming adaptation will center on Willy Wonka’s earlier days prior to operating his elaborate house of confectionary creation".
Chalamet was said to have been in the running with Tom Holland for the part. Wonka has been dated for release on 17th March 2023. Excited? Let us know @Cineworld.
In the meantime, Chalamet will be leading the upcoming Warner Bros property Dune, based on Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel. Chalamet plays Paul Atreides, the young prince poised to inherit the stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis. When his family is betrayed by the vengeful Baron Harkonnen, Paul is forced into hiding with his seer mother Jessica, from which point he plans an insurgent counter-attack while embracing his destiny as a liberator of worlds.
The film is directed by Blade Runner 2049's Denis Villeneuve and features an outstanding cast including Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem and Stellan Skarsgard. The movie is scheduled for release on the 17th of September 2021.