Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet will star as fantastical chocolatier Willy Wonka in a prequel of sorts that will explore the inventor’s early life before getting into the candy business, according to Deadline.com. The film, reportedly titled Wonka, will be produced by Warner Bros. and directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby, the trade pub reported. Chalamet, who will sing and dance in “several musical numbers” set to appear in the film, was the studio’s first choice to play Wonka but scheduling issues pushed things back until now. Wonka will be Warner’s third go at the story, the first two appearing as adaptations of Roald Dahl’s timeless tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in 1971 and again in 2005. The first starred Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka; Johnny Depp starred in the second. Plot details are unknown, but Deadline.com says Wonka will be the first in which Charlie Bucket—the original book’s protagonist—will not appear.
