"I would definitely like to do more. And I’d like to spend more time in this world," director Paul King tells Total Film magazine in the new issue out on September 14, which features Wonka on the cover.
In an exclusive interview in the new issue, King alongside producers David Heyman, who is fresh off the back of co-producing 2023 hit Barbie, and Alexandra Derbyshire open up about the making of Wonka and the possibility of returning for a second film.
Coming to cinemas this winter, Wonka follows a young Willy Wonka, played by Timothée Chalamet, on his journey to becoming a world famous chocolatier. The new movie serves as a prequel to the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring the late Gene Wilder, which was adapted from the 1964 classic novel 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' by British author Roald Dahl.
In his lifetime Dahl wrote over 300 stories and started many more. On record Dahl published two books in the Willy Wonka series, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and the sequel, 'Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator', but apparently has many more stories surrounding the adventures of Wonka in progress that were never released.
King, the man who has masterfully managed to replicate the delight of Paddington in a sequel, shared that he is open to the possibility of exploring this new/old world of Wonka further.
"Dahl was definitely interested in taking Willy Wonka on. There’s drafts that didn’t really go anywhere, and there’s a short story. He didn’t really write sequels, but this was the one book where he clearly felt there was more in the tank there. There’s an awful lot more Wonka story that we have that we would like to tell. It’s not like Dune: Part One where you go, 'This is what’s happening in Part Two.' Hopefully it works exquisitely as a stand-alone movie. But I would definitely like to do more. And I’d like to spend more time in this world, and meet some more Oompa Loompas."
For producer Derbyshire, the prospect of more Wonka isn’t just a business decision but a case of being spoiled by the delicious experience of making this one. "I think there would be space for a sequel if people really enjoy the film. But there are not many projects that are as world building as this. So I’m slightly concerned about what I can do next!"
"But that’s really why I love to go to the movies," adds King. "It’s to get lost in a different place for a couple of hours. To me, cinema has always been a magical place where that can happen. You can go anywhere, and just fall into a different world, where the most extraordinary things seem possible." A world of pure imagination indeed…
Wonka will release in theatres December 15, 2023.
The above is just a snippet of our interview in the new issue of Total Film magazine, which features Wonka on the cover. The magazine hits shelves this Thursday, September 14, and features new insight into everything from The Exorcist: Believer to Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as plenty of reviews for all of the latest releases.
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