We first heard about Warner Bros.' plans for a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory reboot back in 2019, and the studio has now officially given the green light to the project, which still has Paddington helmer Paul King on board to direct.
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.
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, Collider is now reporting that WB "has its eye" on either Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Far From Home) or Timothée Chalamet (Dune) for the role.
Though neither actor is said to be "actively pursuing this part," it sounds like the studio is keen to get one of them to sign on for what could well become a new franchise.
Wonka 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 four months.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.