The musical will have Timothée Chalamet as the chocolatier
Warner Bros. has casted Keegan-Michael Key in their upcoming Willy Wonka prequel film. The report was first shared by Deadline, also adding that Key’s role is not disclosed yet. It was announced in June that the role of young Willy Wonka will be played by Timothée Chalamet. The movie is expected to release on March 17, 2023.
The Production Team
The movie, titled Wonka, will be directed by Paul King with a screenplay from Simon Farnaby. The producer will be David Heyman and his company Heyday Films, joined by Luke Kelly. Michael Siegal will serve as the executive producer.
Wonka will be the third movie made by Warner Bros. based on, or rather, inspired by Roald Dahl’s celebrated children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The first movie earned cult status when it came out in 1971, titled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where Gene Wilder played the eccentric factory owner. The next film came in 2005, rightly titled as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton. Johnny Depp played Wonka at that time.
Unlike the other stories
Producer David Heyman gave a brief idea about the movie, saying it will not be a remake of either movies. In an interview with Collider, Heyman called it more of an origin story, before he was trying to let kids win the golden ticket. He said the concept is challenging since Dahl is not around, and neither is a book. All they have is Dahl’s character and a new story to tell. So they are exploring what they could tell.
Key is an Emmy Award-winning actor for his hit comedy series Key & Peele, which he stars in with Jordan Peele. He recently starred in Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon!.
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