Donald Glover reportedly in talks to play Willy Wonka

Ryan Gosling and Ezra Miller are also said to be in the running

Donald Glover reportedly features on a shortlist for possible lead actors in a new Willy Wonka movie.

The Collider claims that Warner Bros. are in talks with the actor and musician, who is in the running to play the chocolate factory owner in a new Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory spin-off.

Warner Bros. also hired the director Paul King – who most recently led the new Paddington 2 film – for the project four months ago. Harry Potter producer David Heyman and screenwriter Simon Rich are also involved.

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Alongside Donald Glover, actors Ryan Gosling and Ezra Miller (who stars in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) have also been shortlisted for the role.

The new Willy Wonka title will not be a remake of the iconic original.. Adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1964 book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gene Wilde starred as Willy Wonka in the 1971 film version, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Johnny Depp later starred as Willy Wonka in a 2005 reboot.

This forthcoming title, however, looks set to head in a different direction. It is reportedly a prequel exploring the chocolate factory owner’s origin story, and how he came to acquire the magical premises.

Donald Glover is also slated to voice Simba in an upcoming live action Lion King remake, and is currently shooting season 2 of his television show Atlanta.

Most recently, he played Lando Calrissian in the recent Han Solo Star Wars spin-off  Solo: A Star Wars Story. Speaking about his character last month, Glover shared his pitch for a film based on Lando Calrissian’s life.

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“It would be cool to see, like, Frasier in space— like, a high-end guy in space,” he said, speaking to Entertainment Weekly Radio.

“All of these characters are very specific and they have very specific points of view, so it’s always going to be fun to see them traveling around to a planet that is the opposite of what they’re used to. And all of that seems like it would be fun to write, for sure.”

As well as his acting work, Glover is a prolific musician, and returned as Childish Gambino earlier this year with new single ‘This Is America’.

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