Taika Waititi will lend his voice to Willy Wonka in the Netflix animated film Charlie vs. The Chocolate Factory.

      Netflix has revealed that directors Jared Stern (The LEGO Batman Movie) and Elaine Bogan (Spirit Untamed), along with executive producer Taika Waititi (Klara and the Sun), are reimagining Roald Dahl’s cherished novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the animated feature Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory.

      Produced by Sony Pictures Imageworks (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Kpop Demon Hunters), this film will serve as a sequel to the original book and is set in contemporary London, featuring Kit Connor (Heartstopper) as the newly introduced character Charlie Paley and Waititi as the iconic Willy Wonka. The official synopsis states:

      Willy Wonka (Waititi) has spent the time since the Golden Ticket contest incarcerated (not in the chocolate sense) for the offense of transforming a child into a blueberry. After completing his sentence, Wonka makes his way back to his factory, eager to infuse some sweetness into a harsh world. However, he faces a significant obstacle: teenager Charlie Paley (Connor) and his friends. On the verge of eviction, this new generation of “rotten” kids plans to infiltrate the factory, steal a valuable Wonka Bar, and secure their homes. But like many before them who ventured into the wondrous realm of the factory, these kids are in for more than they bargained for…

      “Having grown up in the delightfully bizarre world of Willy Wonka, it’s an honor to bring his continuing escapades to life as ‘twisted’ adults,” said Stern and Bogan. “And how wonderful to do it like never before through the magic of animation, crafting a Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory that’s more deliciously unhinged than you could ever imagine. If we mess up, feel free to toss us down a rubbish chute!”

      “Our directors, Jared and Elaine, have a bold vision suitable for this new escapade while staying true to the legacy. I'm excited to contribute to breathing life into Willy Wonka in animated form,” Waititi added. “He means a lot to me, and the chance to voice such an iconic, eccentric candy genius—who can be a bit mischievous—is incredibly thrilling.”

      Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory marks the latest Roald Dahl project from Netflix, following the streamer’s acquisition of The Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021, and comes after Wes Anderson's The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and the animated feature The Twits.

      About Gary Collinson: Gary Collinson is a writer and producer in film, television, and digital content, as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of the pop culture media outlet Flickering Myth. His producer credits include the gothic horror film The Baby in the Basket and the suspense thriller Death Among the Pines, and he is the author of the book Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.