Paddington director Paul King may helm the new Willy Wonka film for Warner Bros.
Entertainment Weekly reports King is in final talks with the studio to take on the project, which will be a reimagining of Roald Dahl's classic children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Harry Potter and Paddington producer David Heyman is developing the film with Warner Bros. in the hopes of starting a franchise.
King would direct from a script by Simon Rich. The story will be set before the events of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, following Willy Wonka in his early adventures prior to meeting Charlie.
Gene Wilder portrayed the beloved character in 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Johnny Depp played Willy Wonka as well in 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both films were adaptations of Dahl's book.
Be sure to read why we think the 1971 classic ranks as one of IGN's top 25 fantasy films. Also check out our review of Paddington 2, which "picks up where its predecessor left off, in more ways than one."
Alex Gilyadov is a freelance writer for IGN. Be sure to check out his YouTube channel and follow him on Twitter.