Timothée Chalamet to Play Willy Wonka in Origin Story

Timothée Chalamet will play Willy Wonka in a musical based on the early life of Roald Dahl's 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.”

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.

Timothée Chalamet dishes on chatting with Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston at the Golden Globes, an embarrassing wipeout at a Q&A and how he ended up in bed with his "Call Me by Your Name" co-star Armie Hammer and his wife.

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Gene Wilder starred in 1971's “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” based on Dahl's celebrated book. In Tim Burton's 2005 reboot, Johnny Depp played Wonka in a Warner Bros. release that grossed $475 million worldwide.

Taika Waititi ("Jojo Rabbit," “Thor: Ragnarok”) is separately making a pair of animated series for Netflix, one centered on the world of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and one based on the Oompa-Loopmas.

Chalamet, the Oscar-nominated star of Luca Guadagnino's “Call Me By Your Name," has a number of high-profile projects upcoming, including Denis Villenueve's “Dune,” Wes Anderson's “The French Dispatch," Adam McKay's “Don't Look Up" and Guadagnino's “Bones & All."