Ryan Gosling & Donald Glover Top WB's Shortlist Of Actors For Title Role In 'Willy Wonka' Prequel

Remember that ‘Willy Wonka‘ movie that Warner Bros. was putting together, from Paul King, who directed “Paddington?” Well, it looks like the project is moving forward to the casting stage and some of the names on WB’s shortlist might surprise you.

According to Collider, WB is hoping to land one of three actors – Ryan Gosling, Donald Glover, and Ezra Miller. To say this is an eclectic group of actors is an understatement. Gosling hasn’t really ventured into the world of big-budget four-quadrant fare yet, so it’ll be interesting to see if WB can convince him. As you probably know, Gosling has previously been seen in films like “Blade Runner 2049,” “La La Land,” and “Drive,” but judging by those films, in particular, you can see how Wonka is a role that would be different for the acclaimed leading man.

Ezra Miller is another inspired choice. The young actor has done everything from teen drama in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” to big-budget superhero spectacle in last year’s “Justice League.” However, he’s also played menacing, as seen in Lynne Ramsay’sWe Need to Talk About Kevin.” So, with Miller, WB has an actor that can do the fun hijinks of Wonka, but with that sinister, not-quite-sane undertones.

The real standout amongst the group is Donald Glover, however. As we’ve said before, Glover is in the middle of a moment, where he’s just about one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Does that mean he’d be a great Wonka? Not necessarily. However, with projects like “Community” and “Mystery Team” (seriously go check this one out!), Glover has proven he can do comedy with the best of them. And with work in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” we know he’s not afraid to take a legendary role and make it his own.

The untitled ‘Willy Wonka’ film is being written by Simon Rich, who is best known for his work on ‘SNL’ and “Man Seeking Woman,” and is said to be a prequel to the classic tale.

So, who do you think will be the best of these three actors? Sound off!