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The Internet’s Blasting Warner Bros. Over The Willy Wonka Prequel

As if any more proof was needed that Hollywood will scrape the bottom of the barrel in order to wring every last drop of potential profit from a recognizable character or property, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka was given an official release date yesterday, which came with the news that Warner Bros. were eying Tom Holland and Timothee Chalamet for the lead role.

Timothee Chalamet in 'Wonka'.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

As if any more proof was needed that Hollywood will scrape the bottom of the barrel in order to wring every last drop of potential profit from a recognizable character or property, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka was given an official release date yesterday, which came with the news that Warner Bros. were eying Tom Holland and Timothee Chalamet for the lead role.

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Admittedly, the project comes with plenty of pedigree attached. Not only was producer David Heyman one of the driving forces behind the Harry Potter franchise, but he’s also a three-time Academy Award nominee having been involved in bringing Gravity, Marriage Story and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to the big screen. Meanwhile, screenwriter Simon Rich is a former Pixar staff writer and director Paul King helmed two of the most critically acclaimed family films in recent history, with Paddington and its sequel holding Rotten Tomatoes scores of 97% and 100%.

That being said, the idea of an entire movie focusing on Willy Wonka before he even built his chocolate empire sounds fairly redundant, and based on the reactions you can see below, fans have already started sharpening their knives in anticipation.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

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Tom Holland and Timothee Chalamet are both fantastic actors and two of the finest young talents in the industry, but there’s always going to be an air of skepticism surrounding Wonka, especially when the story is set to strip away some of the character’s most recognizable and popular iconography.

Of course, there was backlash when Tim Burton’s remake was first announced as well and that went on to earn $475 million at the box office, so it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on how Wonka shapes up over the next few months.