The 'Beautiful Boy' actor lands the lead role in an upcoming Warner Bros. movie based on characters from Roald Dahl's popular children's book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.
- May 25, 2021
AceShowbiz - Timothee Chalamet is set to indulge in tons of sweetness in his upcoming movie. The Oscar and Golden Globe Award-nominated actor has been officially cast in Warner Bros.' "Wonka", a musical centering on the world's most famous chocolatier.
The 25-year-old will star as the young Willy Wonka, a character created by Roald Dahl in his popular children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Plot details are still kept under wraps, but it has been reported that the prequel movie will "focus on a young Willy Wonka and his adventures prior to opening the world's most famous chocolate factory."
Representatives for Chalamet confirm to Variety that the actor will be singing and dancing in the movie, marking the first time he showcases such skills on screen. According to Deadline which first broke the casting news, the actor has been the top choice for some time, but scheduling was a hurdle that had to be overcome as training for those numbers is included in the prep for this film.
"Spider-Man: Far From Home" star Tom Holland was reported to be in contention for the role back in January, but Chalamet apparently has beaten other contenders for the Willy Wonka role. Ryan Gosling, Donald Glover and Ezra Miller were among other actors previously linked to the movie, which has been in development since 2016 after Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the character from the Dahl estate.
Paul King will direct from the screenplay he wrote with Simon Farnaby. David Heyman is producing via his Heyday Films. Luke Kelly is also producing, with Michael Siegel and Alexandra Derbyshire executive producing. Production is expected to begin in September, for a planned release on March 17, 2023.
Dahl's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" follows a poor boy named Charlie Bucket, who wins a golden ticket to tour the world-famous and heavily guarded chocolate factory run by Willy Wonka. The upcoming movie will mark the first time Charlie will not be featured in a film adaptation as it takes place before the chocolate factory opened.
Wonka was first portrayed by Gene Wilder in the 1971 movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Johnny Depp then embodied the quirky chocolatier in 2005's reboot "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" directed by Tim Burton, with Freddie Highmore starring as Charlie.
Chalamet has avoided tentpole pic over the years before taking on the lead role in upcoming "Dune" adaptation, which will also be released by Warner Bros. His other movies, Wes Anderson's comedic drama "The French Dispatch" and Adam McKay's star-studded disaster drama "Don't Look Up", are also set to come out this year, while he has been tapped to portray Bob Dylan in Searchlight's biopic "Going Electric".
