Timothée Chalamet will play a young Willy Wonka in origin story film


Is Timothée Chalamet about to give Willy Wonka the Joker treatment?
Okay, it probably won't get that dark, but the Oscar-nominated actor has been cast as a young Wonka in a new origin story film set to revolve around the character's "adventures prior to opening the world's most famous chocolate factory," Deadline reports.
Paddington's Paul King is directing Wonka, which Warner Bros. has scheduled for release in 2023. Chalamet will be the latest actor to take on the role after Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, both of which were based on the Roald Dahl book.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It's not yet clear exactly what the plot of Wonka will look like, but it's expected to include "several musical numbers," according to Deadline, and Variety confirms that Chalamet will sing and dance in it. Chalamet is also set to star in the upcoming Dune adaptation, and Deadline writes that this could be another "possible franchise" for him. Indeed, if this origin film is a success, don't be surprised if Hollywood hopes to bring us a whole Wonka Cinematic Universe.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia