It appears that Timothée Chalamet is one of the hottest names in Hollywood at the moment. Today, Deadline brings word that the 25-year old actor will portray the titular character in an upcoming musical inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The movie, produced by Warner Bros in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Co., will be named simply Wonka. The story will follow the adventures of a young Willy Wonka, way before he opened the chocolate factory.
After starring in 2017’s Call Me by Your Name, Chalamet’s career took off, leading him toward major roles like Paul Atreides in the upcoming Dune movie. He will now follow Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp as the eccentric chocolate maker. Paul King will direct Wonka from the screenplay he wrote together with Simon Farnaby. David Heyman and Luke Kelly are producing, with Michael Siegel executive producing. Deadline also confirms that the movie contains several musical numbers, and Chalamet’s song and dance training time had to be negotiated before finalizing the deal.
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It appears that the Roald Dahl Story Company believes very much in the potential of the 1964 children’s novel by Dahl, and is currently working on expanding the franchise. Last year, Netflix reached a deal with the company for a couple of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory animated shows. The shows will come from Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi. One will follow the young Charlie Bucket in his visit to the Wonka chocolate factory, while the other will focus exclusively on the world of the Oompa-Loompas.
The producers have yet to announce an official release date for Wonka.
How do you think Timothée Chalamet will fare as Willy Wonka? Let us know in the comments section below.
Recommended Reading: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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