The debate rages on over whether a prequel about the earlier days of Willy Wonka from Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. But with Paddington's Paul King in the director's chair and Timothée Chalamet starring as the young Wonka, there is some reason to hope Wonka could be fun. We can now add Keegan-Michael Key to the mix.
Deadline was unable to divine what role Key might be playing – a rival chocolatier, perhaps? A best friend? A former business partner? We do, at least, know he has the musical chops should they be required (Chalamet is singing and dancing). And the plot – beyond the fact that it'll chart Wonka's experiences prior to him opening his famous factory – is unknown, though presumably King has a different take from the John August/Tim Burton younger days scenes in 2005's Chocolate Factory.
King and regular collaborator Simon Farnaby wrote the most recent draft of the script, and the film is in pre-production, aiming for a March 2023 release.