Willy Wonka will be played by Timothée Chalamet in new film

Musical prelude cast Call Me By Your Name actor to live the iconic inventor

The prelude to The Fantastic Chocolate Factory found its Willy Wonka. Timothée Chalamet, from Duna and Call Me by Your Name, will live the eccentric inventor in the unpublished feature, which will show his youth, long before the events of the classic work of Roald Dahl [via Deadline].

The news is hardly surprising, given that Chalamet was one of the actors quoted for the role, alongside Tom Holland (Spider-Man) – learn more. As the film will be a musical, this marks the first role of Chalamet singing and dancing.

Willy Wonka will be directed by Paul King, from Paddington, and screenplay by Simon Rich, from Fun Mind. Created by writer Roald Dahl, the candy maker was played by Gene Wilder in The Fantastic Chocolate Factory, 1971, and by Johnny Depp in the 2005 remake. The premiere is scheduled for March 17, 2023.