A Willy Wonka reboot was announced this past October, as Warner Bros. acquired the film rights from the Roald Dahl Estate with plans to revive the franchise with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them producer David Heyman.
Per usual, fans of the classic tale are on the fence over the reboot possibly ruining the magic of the original film, however Warner Bros. promises that the new franchise will tell a new story not based on any Roald Dahl books.
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In a recent interview with SlashFilm, Heyman revealed that the new Willy Wonka movie is not a remake:
“It’s not a remake. They’ve done two films, quite different. But it’s possibly an origin story. We’re just in the early stages of it, working with a writer called Simon Rich, which is wonderful“
Heyman went on to tease that the new Willy Wonka movie may explore earlier periods of the character’s life, perhaps his childhood:
“It’s challenging because you don’t have Dahl, you don’t have a Dahl book, and yet you have a Dahl character. But I think there’s a lot in his character that suggests who he is and also where he might come from or what his childhood or his middle age might have been like. So we’re exploring that. We’re discussing it. We’re in the very early stages and very excited about what lies ahead.“
If the reboot does end up being an origin story, it will be interesting to see how it plays out considering they do not have access to the creative mind behind the beloved character. Whatever Rich comes up with is going to be heavily criticized no matter how good it may be.
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory of 1971 featured Gene Wilder, who died this past August. He was our Willy Wonka. While the movie only had modest success when it first released, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory became a whimsical fantasy favorite over the years, largely thanks to Wilder’s memorable performance.
Johnny Depp played Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s 2005 remake of the original movie, which wasn’t a huge success either due to the darker tone. Either way, fans still hold the classic film close to their hearts, meaning Heyman and Rich will have a lot on their shoulders with this project.
We’ll keep you updated on all Willy Wonka reboot news, right here on ComicBook.com!
