Willy Wonka is getting a reboot. We don’t know when, we don’t know starring who, but according to a report from Variety, it’s happening.
There’s going to be a Willy Wonka prequel
Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to the famous chocolatier and child-murderer from the estate of creator Roald Dahl. Variety says the movie will not be an origin story, but a standalone film “focused on Wonka and his early adventures.” Perhaps we’ll see something of his trip to Loompaland, where Wonka says he saved the Oompa Loompas from their natural predators, the Whangdoodles, Hornswogglers, and Snozzwangers. Well, hopefully not, as the original version of that backstory is extremely racist.
More likely the film will be some new tale altogether, as Dahl never wrote anything specifically focusing on Wonka. Producer David Heyman is on board for the project, best known for helping to guide the Harry Potter franchise and rebooting it with the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Remaking Wonka will likely be a tougher task. After all, there’s not only the bad taste in the mouth left by the 2005 Tim Burton remake starring Johnny Depp, but fans of the original will still be mourning star Gene Wilder, who died in August. It’ll take more than just sugary sweetness to bring something new to the table.
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