Warner has acquired the rights to the Willy Wonka IP from the Roald Dahl Estate and is planning a new movie about the eccentric character.
Heyman will produce with Michael Siegel, who is the manager of the Dahl Estate. Kevin McCormick is exec producing.
Scribe Simon Rich is penning the script.
The film will not be an origin tale, but a standalone movie focused on Wonka and his early adventures. It’s unknown who from the original book series, other than Wonka, will be involved. If the reboot is a hit, it seems likely that characters like Charlie could be seen in future installments of a possible franchise.
Dahl penned two books in which Wonka appeared — the 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the 1972 book “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator” — but never wrote anything focused specifically on the Wonka character.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has since been adapted into two feature films, most recently by Warner Bros. in 2005 with Tim Burton directing and Johnny Depp starring as Wonka.
The original Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder, died on August 29.
Warner’s musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, playing on the West End since 2013, will open on Broadway in April.
