Paddington Director Paul King Linked to New Willy Wonka Movie

Brits are raised in the firm belief that you should finish your savoury food before delving into dessert — and it looks like Paddington director Paul King might be satisfied after two rounds of marmalade sandwiches and is ready to move on to pudding. The British filmmaker has been linked to a new Willy Wonka film from Warner Bros, which would bring Roald Dahl’s creepiest hero to the big screen for the third time.

The film is being described by The Hollywood Reporter{=nofollow} as a ‘reimagining’ of the madcap chocolatier, suggesting that it won’t be a third straight adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The script is being worked on by SNL writer Simon Rich. Speaking to /Film towards the end of 2017, producer David Heyman said: “It’s not a remake. They’ve done two films, quite different. But it’s possibly an origin story.”

The early life of the eccentric, reclusive, and — let’s be honest — downright dangerous candy creator was hinted at in Johnny Depp’s 2005 take on the character. Tim Burton’s film depicted Wonka as the son of a brutal dentist who banned him from ever eating sweets.

It’s thought that a new Wonka film could spark off a new franchise for Warner Bros, who are also shipping out a Guillermo del Toro script for another Dahl classic, The Witches. Legendary director Robert Zemeckis is said to be in the picture for that one.

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