Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are two very different films. The latter isn’t as beloved as the former, but it has its fanbase. But now Warner Bros. wants to retell that story once again. This time, with a new face of the sweet and peculiar candy company.
We previously reported that Paddington director Paul King was hired to direct a new adaptation of Roald Dahl‘s children’s book. Now there are new reports saying Solo: A Star Wars Story star Donald Glover, Blade Runner 2049‘s Ryan Gosling, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘s Ezra Miller are on the shortlist to play Willy Wonka. More on the story below.
Collider was able to post the exclusive report. According to their sources the film will be a prequel story that will look into Wonka’s origins. Harry Potter producer David Heyman and Simon Rich (Saturday Night Live) are writing the script.
Now while there may be plenty of eye rolling at the fact that there will be yet another Willy Wonka movie and that it will be an origins movie, you have to give the studio credit for aiming high. Glover, Gosling, and Miller are all great actors in their own right. But it’s going to be hard to avoid some of the pitfalls of an origins story. Like Solo, some stories are better off being a legend. We don’t really need to see how things went down at the Kessel Run – it was still fun though. So do I really need to know how Wonka found the Oompa Loompas? Do I really need to know how he created such elaborate candy creations and even those more elaborate devices that create the candies?
That being said, I can picture all three bringing in their own unique style to the film. As we saw in Solo, Glover can be cool and smooth as they come, and quite the talker too. Not only that, but he would bring a sense of style that fits into that Wonka world. Glover is also behind the Emmy-winning Atlanta and has been known to provide some creative input in films like Black Panther. He’s also got some music chops as well. His Childish Gambino’s “This is America” is one of the most talked about songs of the year.
On the other hand, Gosling is hilarious and has proven to be a versatile actor. He can be funny (as we have seen in Crazy Stupid Love and The Nice Guys) but also dramatic (as we have seen in Blade Runner 2049 and Drive). But he can also dance (as we have seen in La La Land). And we’ve seen Wonka have that extra pep in the way he moves.
Then there’s Miller. While on the young side, his youth could prove to be a great asset if they want to flesh out this Wonka prequel into a full-blown franchise. Plus he can also bring in some nice charm and some heavy drama. And again this is being made by a Warner Bros., the home of the Fantastic Beasts and DC Extended Universe franchises, both of which Miller is a part of.
It should be interesting to see who King and WB agree on. But for right now, we will just have to wait and see.
[Source: Collider]
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