New Willy Wonka Prequel Director Revealed... But Don't Expect Johnny Depp To Return

The wheels are officially in motion on the new Willy Wonka spinoff movie, with reports claiming that the studio is in talks with Paddington 2 director Paul King to helm the film. If King signs on the dotted line, he’ll team up with Harry Potter producer David Heyman to bring the new project to life.

Plot details are pretty hazy at this stage, but we do know that the film will be a prequel covering Wonka’s life *before* meeting Charlie Bucket. That also means Johnny Depp won’t be involved, which is good news for anyone permanently freaked out by his weird, pseudo- Michael Jackson routine.

The young Wonka has yet to be cast, but the rumour mill keeps throwing Ryan Gosling’s name into the mix, which is something we could definitely get behind. And he famously loves a song and dance, of course, if the studio decides to go back down the musical route. No release date has been announced as yet, but expect to hear more details when King’s recruitment is officially confirmed.

- By George Wales @georgewales85

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