Willy Wonka new movie: Will the new Willy Wonka movie be a prequel?

It’s hard to tell if Roald Dahl will be excited or disappointed by the news another Willy Wonka movie is in the works.

Though the rumours about a new movie had been in the works for a while, what kind of movie it would be had yet to be confirmed.

Until now.

Collider spoke with producer David Heyman to get the scoop on what type of film the Willy Wonka movie will be.

Will the new Willy Wonka movie be a prequel?

Despite initial rumours to the contrary, the new Willy Wonka movie will, in fact, be a prequel.

Earlier in 2018, the rumour mill began to spin when Warner Bros announced it had reached a deal with Roald Dahl’s estate to plan another Willy Wonka film.

At the time, it was speculated the movie might be a soft reboot.

Names like Donal Glover (Solo, Atlanta), Ryan Gossling (First Man), and Ezra Miller (Fantastic Beasts) were bandied about for the eponymous role.

Who will take the helm of head of the chocolate factory has yet to be confirmed.

But speaking to Collider, Heyman said: “We are still trying to figure out how to tell that story, what the story is.

“It’s a prequel, it’s not a sequel.

“What makes Willy—when we find him at the chocolate factory doing the golden ticket, where is he before that?

“What leads him to that place where he’s locked himself away?

“It’s how does he get there? So we’re playing around with that.”

Collider also reported Heyman “hopes” Paul King will direct the Willy Wonka movie.

But King is already slated to direct Disney’s upcoming Pinocchio film, so scheduling conflicts mean the Willy Wonka movie won’t be in production for a few years at least.

The 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starred Gene Wilder as the titular character.

In it, Wonka’s backstory is left shrouded in mystery.

For Tim Burton’s remake, Johnny Depp’s version of Wonka had a father who was a dentist, played by Christopher Lee.

Nothing else was explained and fans were not best pleased with the reboot.

Heyman has plenty of wiggle room with how to craft a younger Wonka, and hopefully cleanse the palate from the sour taste left by Burton’s adaptation.