We first heard about Warner Bros.' plans for a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory reboot back in 2019, and it was announced earlier this year that the studio has officially given the green light to the project, which still has Paddington helmer Paul King on board to direct.
While Ezra Miller (Justice League), Ryan Gosling (Blade Runner 2049) and Donald Glover (Solo: A Star Wars Story) were originally said to be on the studio's radar to play the lead, we recently learned that WB "has its eye" on either Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) or Timothée Chalamet (Dune) for the role, and Deadline is now reporting that the latter has landed the part.
Apparently, "Wonka will mark the first time Chalamet gets to show off his singing and dancing skills with several musical numbers set to appear in the film."
Wonka, which has been confirmed to be a prequel to Roald Dahl's classic children's book, has been given a March 17, 2023 release date, and will focus on the early life of the eccentric chocolatier.
The movie is being developed from a script by Simon Rich (An American Pickle), with David Heyman (the Harry Potter movies) set to produce. Production is expected to kick-off within the next few months.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.