Warner Bros. has added the Wonka prequel to its release schedule. The film, which will be an origin story focused on the eccentric chocolate factory owner, will hit screens on March 17, 2023.
Paddington director Paul King will helm the prequel and it will be produced by David Heyman, who also served as a producer on Harry Potter. Warner Bros. describes the film as focusing on "a young Willy Wonka and his adventures prior to opening the world's most famous chocolate factory." The character originated in the Roald Dahl 1964 book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Gene Wilder famously played the character in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory while Tim Burton scored a hit when Johnny Depp stepped into the role in 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Wonka has been in development for about four years and King has been attached to direct since 2018. No casting has been announced as of yet as the film is still in the early stages of its development, despite floating around for a few years. The far-off release date gives Warner Bros. time to plan out the film's shooting schedule and since the project is likely to shoot in the U.K., it won't be until after the area's lockdown has been lifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Are YOU excited for the Wonka prequel?