It’s been almost two months since Gene Wilder passed away, and in Hollywood time, that’s more than enough distance to announce a reboot of one of his most iconic characters and performances.
Warner Bros. has made a deal with the Roald Dahl estate for the rights to “Willy Wonka,” with producer David Heyman — the man behind the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” franchises — tasked with developing the project, that Simon Rich (“Saturday Night Live,” “Inside Out,” “The Secret Life Of Pets“) will be writing. Oddly enough, it seems WB is only interested in the character, with the proposed movie focusing on the “early adventures” of Willy Wonka, which seems like a fancy way of saying “prequel.”
READ MORE: R.I.P. Gene Wilder (1933-2016)
Of course, the material has already been adapted twice: 1971’s “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder, and 2005’s “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory” with Johnny Depp. Dahl hated the former, and Wilder didn’t like the latter, so maybe this just all evens out anyway.
No word yet on a director, and more crucially, who will play Willy Wonka, but we welcome your suggestions in the comments section. [Variety]