Willy Wonka prequel movie is officially happening, with a 2023 release date

In the classic 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka says, “Time is a precious thing. Never waste it.” And now, it looks like Warner Bros. is staying true to that ideology as they move forward with Wonka, a long-imagined prequel to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory about the eccentric chocolate factory owner.

The project has reportedly been in the works for a while (four years, according to Deadline), but is finally seeing some momentum as the studio begins to consider casting decisions and production timelines for the film. The prequel is slated for a March 2023 release, and will provide viewers with an intimate look into the early life of Willy Wonka, prior to the creation of his candy-coated empire.

While the cast has yet to be announced, the film will see a lot of the behind-the-scenes team from Paddington back together again. Paul King will direct, and producer David Heyman is also on board. King and Simon Farnaby, who wrote Paddington 2 together, will join forces again for Wonka.

On Tuesday, shortly following the news of the prequel's release, Collider reported that Tom Holland and Timothée Chalamet are in the running to play the eccentric Willy Wonka himself. Back in 2018, when early whispers of the prequel started, Collider reported Ryan Gosling, Donald Glover and Ezra Miller were being considered but, of course, a lot can change in four years – especially in Hollywood. As Holland and Chalamet are both young stars, the potential casting speaks to the project’s decision to explore Wonka’s early life.

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Fans on Twitter seem to have mixed feelings about the rumoured casting considerations, and also threw in some suggestions of their own.

Deadline reports that although the film will not begin shooting while the U.K. remains in lockdown, they are aiming for a September shoot.

Of course, this isn’t the first revival of the classic film. Back in 2005, Tim Burton offered fans a reimagined take of the childhood tale with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp assumed the role of a very convincing, very quirky Willy Wonka, and the film amassed over $474 million worldwide at the box office.

Burton's 2005 movie also positioned Wonka’s father as a "dentist who loathed sugary treats of any kind.” Will those plot details remain the same for the prequel? Will the Oompa Loompas make an appearance? Will there be sickly sweet catchy songs? We'll have to wait to find out.

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