Today in unexpected yet delightful casting choices, Timothée Chalamet is set to star as Willy Wonka in a new origin film.
As reported by Deadline, the former Oscar nominee and certified heartthrob will play a young version of the iconic character in the upcoming Warner Brothers film Wonka.
The flick will serve as a prequel to the events of Roald Dahl’s original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story, which spawned two movie adaptations in 1971 and 2005.
According to Deadline, the film will focus on Willy Wonka’s adventures prior to opening his infamous chocolate factory. As such, it will be the first movie in the Wonka cinematic universe to not feature the character of Charlie Bucket.
Excitingly, Wonka will also mark the first time Chalamet is able to showcase his singing and dancing skills, with the film reportedly set to include multiple musical numbers.
It seems the film is in good hands, as it will be directed by Paul King, the man behind the critically acclaimed Paddington movies.
It’s safe to say the character of Willy Wonka has experienced a surge in popularity in recent months, largely due to the success of the Willy Wonka TikTok account.
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For the uninitiated, the account is run by a man named Duke Depp, who has amassed over 18 million followers for dressing up and portraying a ‘hot’ version of the character. Well, it seems Chalamet has big shoes to fill.
Meanwhile, nabbing the role of Willy Wonka is just the cherry on top of a big year for Timothée Chalamet, who has several blockbusters due to premiere soon.
Not only is he starring in the upcoming film Dune, the first half of a two-part adaptation of the science-fiction epic novel, but he also has roles in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.
For more on this topic, head over to the Film & TV Observer.
Check out the trailer for the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory:
