Wonka Director Paul King Speaks Out on Sequel Plans (Exclusive)

There are ideas — but no concrete plan in place yet — for a follow-up to Paul King’s hit movie Wonka. A prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the movie centers on a young Willy Wonka as he begins to build his chocolate empire. The movie, which had a ton of negative buzz when it was announced, overperformed with critics, audiences, and the box office, ultimately leading everyone to wonder whether King might remain on board for a second film — especially since he isn’t directing the upcoming, third Paddington movie, which picks up where King left off after leaving that franchise.

Speaking with ComicBook.com, King admitted it’s tempting, and that he and the studio are both interested in revisiting the world of Wonka. He also said there’s no real hurry or pressure to do so.

“It’s definitely something we’re thinking about,” King admitted. “One of the things I love most about David Heyman, my producer, is that he has made so many great movies that he doesn’t feel the pressure to just make a movie because it can be made. He has this great saying which reassures me enormously where he goes, ‘We’ll have a think, see what we can come up with, and then see if we want to make it,’ and it’s incredibly liberating, rather than somebody going, ‘You are making a film that’s coming out in September,’ and you’re like, ‘I don’t even have an idea.’ Let’s just take it for a walk and keep calm, and it was about 50 years between the Gene Wilder movie and our one. We can wait a beat, and if we don’t come upw ith a story, this is a movie with a beginning, a middle, and end that works on its own and if we come up with something that we think can be exciting — certainly Oompa Loompas feel like there can be a plural oompa loompas. Of course there are some ideas sloshing around, but we don’t have a story yet, so we’ll see what happens.”

From Paul King, writer/director of the “Paddington” films, David Heyman, producer of “Harry Potter,” “Gravity,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Paddington,” and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the “Paddington” films, “Jurassic World: Dominion”) and Luke Kelly (“Roald Dahl’s The Witches”), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor.  Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time-proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.

Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), with Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite,” “The Lost Daughter”) and Hugh Grant (“Paddington 2,” “A Very English Scandal”). The film also stars Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”).

Own Wonka now on Digital, and on 4K UHD February 27.