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Timothée Chalamet to play Willy Wonka in origin story

Timothee Chalamet
Posted at 2:47 PM, May 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-24 16:47:25-04

NEW YORK (AP) — Timothée Chalamet will play Willy Wonka in a musical based on the early life of the eccentric chocolatier.

Warner Bros. and the Roald Dahl Story Co. announced Monday that the 25-year-old Chalamet will star in "Wonka."

The studio said the film will "focus on a young Willy Wonka and his adventures prior to opening the world's most famous chocolate factory."

This marks the third time Warner Bros. has done a story on Wonka, with the first one starring Gene Wilder as Wonka in 1971. Johnny Depp took on the role in 2005 in the Tim Burton reboot.

Paul King ("Paddington," "Paddington 2") will direct from a script he wrote with Simon Farnaby, with "Harry Potter" producer David Heyman producing.

Warner Bros. earlier this year set a release date in March 2023.

"Jojo Rabbit" director Taika Waititi is doing a separate animated series for Netflix that centers around the world of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and a story based on Oompa-Loompas, the Associated Press reported.