Back in 2016, Warner Bros. announced that it had secured the rights to the Willy Wonka character from the estate of Roald Dahl, with David Heyman (Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts) set to produce a new movie described as an origin story for the eccentric chocolate factory owner.
Earlier this year, Paddington helmer Paul King signed on to direct the movie, and now it seems the studio is narrowing its search for an actor to take on the role of Willy Wonka, portrayed previously on the big screen by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp.
According to Collider, the shortlist for the role includes Ryan Gosling (La La Land), Donald Glover (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Ezra Miller (Justice League). Miller has previously worked with producer David Heyman on Fantastic Beasts, while Glover is apparently “actively chasing” the part. Gosling meanwhile has previously been linked to the project, with a report from July of last year suggesting that he was keen on the role.
While plot details are being kept under wraps, the movie will serve as a prequel to Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, with Heyman teasing that: “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.”
Who would you like to see taking on the role of Willy Wonka? Let us know in the comments below..
