Ready to return to the Chocolate Factory?
Netflix has unveiled a first look at their new animated feature, “Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory,” which is set for release on the platform in 2027. You can see it above.
This all-new story, set in modern day London, stars Kit Connor as a new character, Charlie Paley, and Taiki Waititi as the legendary chocolatier Willy Wonka, played in live-action features by Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp and, most recently, Timothée Chalamet. Waititi also executive produced the feature, which was directed by Jared Stern and Elaine Bogan. Aron Warner and Timothy Yoo are producers.
The animation for “Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory” is being handled by Sony Pictures Imageworks, who also did the animation for Netflix hits “KPop Demon Hunters” and “The Sea Beast.”
The official synopsis for “Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory” reads: “Willy Wonka (Waititi) has spent the years since the Golden Ticket contest behind bars (not the chocolate kind) for the crime of turning a child into a blueberry. Having served his time, Wonka returns to his factory determined to add a little sweetness to a bitter world. But one thing stands in his way: teenager Charlie Paley (Connor) and his friends. Facing eviction, this next generation of ‘rotten’ kids plot to break into the factory, nab a priceless Wonka Bar, and save their homes. But like many before them who enter the fantastical world of the factory, these kids are in for a bit more than they can chew.”
“Having been raised on the delightfully twisted world of Willy Wonka, it’s a privilege to bring his continued adventures to life as twisted adults,” directors Stern and Bogan said in an official statement. “And how sweet to do it like never before via the magic of animation, creating a Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory that’s more deliciously unhinged than your wildest imagination. If we do a rotten job, you can throw us down a rubbish chute!”
Waititi added in his own statement: “Our directors, Jared and Elaine, have a bold vision befitting this new adventure whilst remaining sympathetic to the legacy, and I’m thrilled to play my part in bringing Willy Wonka to life in animated form. He is so special to me, and the opportunity to voice such an iconic, eccentric candy genius—if a little mischievous at times—is hugely exciting.”
Hannah Minghella, head of feature animation and family film at Netflix Animation Studios, expressed a similar sentiment, noting in a statement: “With their singular comedic and visual flair, Jared and Elaine have concocted a delightful adventure that remains true to the spirit of Dahl’s beloved novel while imagining a brand new story that introduces this world to a new generation. We can’t wait for audiences around the world to experience the magic and mayhem for themselves when the film comes out next year.”
“Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory” has had a fascinating development, beginning life as an animated series before transitioning to an animated feature, following Netflix’s acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021. (“The Twits,” another animated feature based on a Dahl book, was released on Netflix last year.) “The Golden Ticket,” a competition series based on the world of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” was also recently announced for Netflix. The original book has been translated into nearly 60 languages and is the best-selling Roald Dahl book in more than 25 countries worldwide.
Other upcoming Netflix animated features include the Michael B. Jordan-led “Swapped,” out next month, this fall’s fractured fairy tale “Steps” and animation legend Brad Bird’s long-awaited “Ray Gunn” (also this fall). There are also sequels to “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” and “KPop Demon Hunters” in the works.
