Timothee Chalamet will play Willy Wonka in prequel film

25 May 2021

Timothee Chalamet will play Willy Wonka in an upcoming prequel to ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

Timothee Chalamet

The 25-year-old actor has been rumoured to be taking on the iconic role of the chocolate factory proprietor for several months, but according to Deadline he is now confirmed to be starring in ‘Wonka’, the upcoming film in the works at Warner Bros.

Timothee will play the inventor and chocolate maker in his younger days, before he became the infamous character seen in Roald Dahl’s popular 1964 children’s book, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

‘Wonka’ will look at the character’s adventures before he opens his chocolate factory, with song and dance numbers reportedly set to be included as well, meaning Timothee will need to show off his musical skills.

The film is being helmed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby, while David Heyman is producing.

Timothee will become the third star to play Willy Wonka on the big screen, after the late Gene Wilder first brought the character to life in 1971’s ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, before Johnny Depp played the role in the Tim Burton-directed 2005 film ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

‘Wonka’ is currently slated for a March 2023 release in cinemas.

For Timothee, the role comes as he’s also set to star in a remake of ‘Dune’, the 1984 film directed by David Lynch and based on the novel by Frank Herbert.

The actor will play the lead role as Paul Atreides, and will star alongside Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, and Charlotte Rampling in the feature, which is being helmed by Denis Villeneuve.