Today marks the start of production on Warner Bros.’ Wonka, and to commemorate the occasion, the studio has announced three new cast members. Via The Hollywood Reporter, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, and Olivia Colman have all booked roles in the upcoming prequel to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The movie will star Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka and explore the “vivid, mythical beginnings of the imaginative young inventor before he becomes the renowned scrumdiddlyumptious Mozart of chocolate.” Like previous adaptations of Dahl’s book, the new film will be a musical, with The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon writing original songs.
WB neglected to share which characters Atkinson, Hawkins, and Colman are playing. Tom Davis, Simoon Farnaby, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Mathew Baynton, Jim Carter, and Rich Fulcher also star in the film. Many of these actors previously worked with Wonka’s director, Paul King, on both Paddington films.
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King co-wrote Wonka’s script alongside his Paddington 2 collaborator, Simon Farnaby. Additionally, this isn’t the only Charlie and the Chocolate Factory offshoot in the works. Netflix is currently developing at least two different animated series based on the novel with Taika Waititi at the helm. Last week, Netflix also announced that it had acquired the entire Roald Dahl catalog and was plotting a shared universe of films and TV shows based on the author’s work.
Warner Bros. hasn’t announced a release date for Wonka.
Do you have any theories about who these actors are playing in the film? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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