Untitled Willy Wonka Prequel Gets A Release Date

We’ll be seeing the origins of the candyman himself

The upcoming Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory prequel has moved forward with the announcement of a director and a release date. According to Collider, The film is set to hit cinemas March 17, 2023 with Paddington director Paul King helming the project.

The story is set to feature the origins of Wonka and tell the story of how he came to be the amazing chocolatier. It will also show how he came to lock himself away for years leading up to the events of Roald Dahl’s book.

Most movie goers will be familiar with 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which starred Gene Wilder in the title role. Johnny Depp took over the role in Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation entitled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

After making a deal with the Roald Dahl estate a few years back, Harry Potter‘s David Heyman will be producing, with Simon Rich and Simon Farnaby. Rich has previously been a writer on The Simpsons and Pixar’s Inside Out, whereas Farnaby is notably known for his acting roles in the likes of Paddington and Yonderland.

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Casting is yet to be announced but the apparent front runners according to Collider are Spider-Man: Far From Home‘s Tom Holland and Dune‘s Timothée Chalamet. Other actors previously linked with the role include Justice League‘s Ezra Miller, Atlanta‘s Donald Glover and La La Land‘s Ryan Gosling.

As mentioned above, the untitled Willy Wonka prequel is set to hit cinemas March 17, 2023.