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.
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.