Entertainment
Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka production paused after cast members tests positive for Covid-19
Wonka production has been halted for the time being (Picture: Warner Bros/tchalamet)
Filming for Timothee Chalamet’s musical fantasy film Wonka has reportedly been halted for five days, after a cast member tested positive for coronavirus.
The upcoming musical fantasy will serve as a prequel to Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
However, due to a team member contracting the virus, this has resulted in Chalamet and his co-stars Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, and Matt Lucas having to self-isolate.
A source told The Sun: ‘There’s a huge amount of money tied up in filming so any delays can become incredibly costly. On site medical staff are monitoring the situation and won’t make anyone come back until it’s safe.’
It was announced in May this year that the Dune star will be taking on the titular role, which will explore the young inventor’s life before he opened his world-renowned chocolate factory or ever met Charlie Bucket.
The 25-year-old actor teased fans with an Instagram picture of him in full Wonka attire and captioned the post: ‘The suspense is terrible, I hope it will last…’
The star’s breakthrough was in the coming of age drama Call Me By Your Name (Picture: Sony)
Johnny Depp took on the titular role in Tim Burton’s adaptation (Picture: REUTERS)
At the moment, the movie – which is being directed by Paul King from a script he co-wrote with Simon Darnaby – is set to drop on March 17, 2023.
Meanwhile, music will come from The Divine Comedy singer Neil Hannon as he’s been tasked with writing original songs for the film.
The film is a co-production between Warner Bros – its third adaptation of the story, having also been responsible for Tim Burton’s 2005 take with Johnny Depp – is set to follow the spirit of Dahl’s original characters.
More: US Showbiz news
Chalamet was reportedly a top choice for the part for a while but scheduling conflicts – including the intense prep time needed for a musical – had been an issue.
Looks like it all worked out in the end.
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