Willy Wonka prequel adds Keegan-Michael Key to the cast

In the grand Hollywood tradition of explaining things that don’t really need an explanation, we’re got a Willy Wonka prequel on the way. Dune’s Timothée Chalamet is set to star as a young Willy Wonka and Deadline has now reported that Keegan-Micheal Key will be joining him.

The Willy Wonka prequel will explore the origins of the once mysterious candy maker before he opened the world’s most famous chocolate factory. While it may appear that I’m down on the concept of Wonka, I do have faith in the talent involved. Paddington‘s Paul King is slated to direct Wonka from a script he co-wrote with Simon Farnaby. King’s success with the Paddington movies has earned him a lot of goodwill in my book, so I’m more than willing to keep an open mind in regards to the Willy Wonka prequel. Producer David Heyman has previously said that Wonka will be challenging as they don’t have a Roald Dahl book to draw upon. “It’s challenging because you don’t have Dahl, you don’t have a Dahl book, and yet you have a Dahl character,” Heyman said. “But I think there’s a lot in his character that suggests who he is and also where he might come from or what his childhood or his middle age might have been like. So we’re exploring that.“

Keegan-Michael Key was recently seen starring alongside Cecily Strong in Schmigadoon!, a musical comedy series that premiered on Apple TV+ earlier this summer. Keegan-MichaelKey and Strong play a backpacking couple who find themselves lost on a hiking trip and stumble upon a bright and magical town filled with singing and dancing townspeople. They quickly learn that they won’t be able to leave without finding true love — which they thought they already had.