Harry Potter producer David Heyman is working on a Willy Wonka movie for Warner Bros.
According to Variety, the story will focus on Wonka’s “early adventures,” and won’t be an “origin tale.” Simon Rich, a staff writer for Pixar who worked on Inside Out, will be penning the script. It’s unknown if the movie will be a musical like the two previous Wonka movies.
Warner Bros. has been trying to secure the rights from author Roald Dahl’s estate since the beginning of the year, but didn’t make the deal until the fall. The manager of the estate, Michael Siegel, will serve as a producer on the film.
Wonka first appeared in Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Gene Wilder played the character in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Johnny Depp took on the role for 2005’s definitely not a classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both actors received Golden Globe nominations for their performances.
