Warner Bros. and the Roald Dahl Story Co. have been in the planning stages of a new film that tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, the famous factory owner in Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The studio has now decided on buzzworthy actor Timothée Chalamet for the coveted role of Willy Wonka in the prequel film.

Chalamet has made waves since appearing in his first short films in 2008. Since then, he's worked with Christopher Nolan in Interstellar and even earned an Oscar nomination for Call Me By Your Name. The young actor has quickly risen to modern celebrity status and, after a lengthy period of avoiding franchise material, he is now stepping into that sphere by starring in the upcoming Dune remake. Chalamet has also shown off his chops for comedic parts by appearing as a host on Saturday Night Live and securing a role in Wes Anderson's next film, The French Dispatch.

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Now, Deadline reports Chalamet will have a chance to make a bigger splash with viewers by starring in Wonka for Warner Bros. This is Warner Bros.' first collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Co. since Robert Zemeckis' The Witches remake. Though this is Warner's third attempt at a film based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this is the first time a movie based on a Roald Dahl property is telling a story that doesn't directly originate from one of his books. Charlie Bucket, the titular boy of Dahl's book, will not be featured in Wonka, as the film will reveal how Wonka became the chocolatier that audiences and readers have come to know and love.

Furthermore, Wonka is said to give Chalamet his first on-screen chance to show off his talent as a singer since the film will reportedly feature multiple musical numbers. Chalamet isn't the only buzzworthy name attached to the Willy Wonka film. Paddington helmer Paul King will be the director, as well as a co-writer of the script alongside Simon Farnaby. Wonka is Paul King's first notable directorial position since his Paddington films and episodes of the Steve Carell series Space Force for Netflix.

After the lukewarm reception towards the recent remake of The Witches, Warner Bros. has found their chance to revitalize the financial viability of their Roald Dahl properties. Furthermore, Chalamet is an exciting choice for the role of Willy Wonka, and fans will be eager to compare his performance to those of Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder.

Wonka is early in development and is set to release sometime in 2023—though there is no confirmation on whether the release will be theatrical or straight to streaming on HBO Max. The prequel is set to begin filming in the coming months.

Wonka is in development at Warner Bros.

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Source: Deadline