Timothee Chalamet to star as young Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. movie

Actor Timothee Chalamet will star in Warner Bros. 'Wonka', a big-screen musical reimagining of Roald Dahl's classic children's book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

As per Variety, Chalamet will play the world's most famous chocolatier in the musical based on the early life of the fictional character Willy Wonka.

Though the plot details have been kept under wraps, the Warner Bros. prequel film will explore the upbringing of the man who later created the famous house of confectionary treats. Representatives for Chalamet confirmed that he will be singing and dancing in the movie.

Dahl's popular book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' follows a poor boy named Charlie Bucket, who wins a golden ticket to tour the world-famous and heavily guarded chocolate factory run by one Willy Wonka. Since the upcoming movie takes place before the chocolate factory opened, Charlie and the company won't be making an appearance in 'Wonka'.

Paul King, widely known for 'Paddington' and its sequel, is directing 'Wonka'. David Heyman, a driving force behind the 'Harry Potter' franchise and the beloved 'Paddington' movies, will produce the film, based on a script by Simon Rich.

Production is expected to begin in September, with the movie scheduled to release on March 17, 2023.

Gene Wilder portrayed the candy man in the 1971 movie adaptation titled 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', and Johnny Depp later embodied the role in the 2005 reboot 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' directed by Tim Burton.

Burton's retelling briefly explored Willy Wonka's backstory, including his candy-hating, dentist father, as well as meeting the Oompa Loompa's that keep his factory running.

Apart from 'Wonka', Chalamet has several movies in the pipeline including Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune' adaptation, the Wes Anderson comedic drama 'The French Dispatch' and Adam McKay's star-studded disaster movie 'Don't Look Up'.

He is also set to portray Bob Dylan in the Searchlight biopic 'Going Electric'.

( With inputs from ANI )