Filming has officially started onWonka, the upcoming prequel in the works at Warner Bros. Pictures inspired byCharlie and the Chocolate Factory. The movie stars Timothee Chalamet (Dune,Call Me By Your Name) in the lead role as a young Willy Wonka with Paul King (Paddingtonmovies) serving as the director. While this is a new take on the source material, it is based on the originalCharlie and the Chocolate Factorystory by Roald Dahl.

The full cast has also been revealed forWonka. Along withTimothée Chalametas Willy,Wonkastars Rowan Atkinson (Johnny English,Mr. Bean), Mathew Baynton (The Wrong Mans,Ghosts), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Oscar winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Tom Davis (Paddington 2,King Gary), Simon Farnaby (Paddingtonmovies,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Rich Fulcher (Marriage Story), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water,Paddingtonmovies,Spencer), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Paddington 2,Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Paterson Joseph (Vigil), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (Schmigadoon), Calah Lane (The Day Shall Come), Matt Lucas (Paddington,Little Britain), Colin O’Brien (The Mothership), Natasha Rothwell (White Lotus,Insecure), Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education), and Ellie White (The Other One).

An official logline forWonkareads, “Chalamet leads astar-studded ensemblein an origin story that explores the vivid, mythical beginnings of the imaginative young inventor before he becomes the renowned scrumdiddlyumptious Mozart of chocolate.” In other words, this is a prequel story focusing on Willy Wonka’s rise from an ordinary young man with a penchant for sweets into the world’s most famous - and eccentric - candymaker.

Paul King directs using a screenplay he co-wrote withPaddington 2co-writer Simon Farnaby (with prior writers including Simon Rich, Simon Stephenson, Jeff Nathanson, and Steven Levenson). Michael Siegel and Rosie Alison are serving as executive producers. King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey; Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley; editor Mark Everson; and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming. Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the movie.

Oscar-nominated producer David Heyman (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood), who produced theHarry Potter,Fantastic Beasts, andPaddingtonfilms, Luke Kelly, who produced the recent feature adaptation of Roald Dahl’sThe Witchesas well as the upcomingMatilda, and Alexandra Derbyshire, who executive produced thePaddingtonfilms and the upcomingJurassic World: Dominion, are producingWonka.

Gene Wilder famously played Willy WonkainWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, theoriginal movie adaptation that was released in 1971. The movie is widely considered to be among the greatest works of cinema of all-time, recently garnering a lot of fans to give it a revisit in honor of its 50th anniversary. More recently, Johnny Depp played a new incarnation of Willy Wonka in 2005’sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both Wilder and Depp have their fans who prefer their respective versions of the story. It remains to be seen where Timothee Chalamet will fit in onceWonkajoins the fray.

Wonkais currently filming in the UK. The movie is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 17, 2025, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.