Cos I’ve got a golden ticket… to see this movie.
The Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory prequel has finally gotten a release date, but don’t get too excited because it won’t be here until 2023.
The film will take place before the events of the popular 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (or the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), giving audiences a glimpse of Wonka’s early life, his upbringing, and how he came to found the famous chocolate factory.
Directed by Paul King and produced by David Heyman, the movie is set to land in cinemas on St Patrick’s Day 2023.
With a working title of ‘Wonka,’ the film has been in the works for over four years already, with King first becoming attached to the project back in 2016.
According to Variety, production is expected to start over the next few months, but delays are of course entirely possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Exact plot details for the film have yet to be released, but it’s looking likely that the movie will focus on Wonka’s life before he became a master chocolatier.
Although the iconic ’70s movie starring the late Gene Wilder divulged nothing of Wonka’s background, Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation did. Wonka’s father was revealed to be dentist who was averse to all kinds of sugary sweets leaving young Willy mildly traumatised and desperate to bring some sweetness to other kids’ lives.
It’s unlikely that this movie will follow the same narrative as the Johnny Depp version (and thank god for that), but Warner Bros do seem to be moving in a similar star-studded direction for the upcoming film.
Casting has yet to be confirmed, but according to reports Timothée Chalamet and Tom Holland may be in the running to play the titular Willy Wonka.
Aside from this project, Netflix have also got two Wonka-based series in the pipeline. The first animated show will be based on Charlie and Wonka’s magical world of chocolate, and the other on the Oompa-Loompas.
Created by What We Do In The Shadows and Thor’s Taika Waititi, the series will mark the start of a new partnership between The Roald Dahl Story Company and Netflix.
