Wonka 2 is pressing ahead, Warner Bros has claimed after the first film’s co-writer claimed it had been “delayed indefinitely.”
Wonka starred Hollywood phenom Timothée Chalamet as a young version of Roald Dahl’s magical chocolate factory owner and was a huge hit at the box office, earning over $634 million worldwide against a $125 million budget.
However, according to writer Simon Farnaby, the fate of its revival is down to its star, Chalamet, who is one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood.
“[Chalamet] wants to do one, but he’s not sure about timing or what he wants to do next,” Farnaby told Variety in a new interview, adding that Wonka 2 was “delayed indefinitely.”
However, Warner Bros has now hit back at Farnaby’s suggestion, with a spokesperson telling The Independent: “Reports suggesting a Wonka 2 delay are entirely false. The Wonka creative team is hard at work on the next chapter”.
Farnaby later followed up with his own clarification, writing on X: “Hi all, just wanted to clear up some rumours about Wonka 2 after my Variety interview. My quotes were taken little out of context by some people. I 100% did not say Wonka 2 wasn’t happening. A sequel was always the plan. Everyone is working really hard on it.
“WB are committed. There is a great script by Paul and I. Timmy wants to do it (like I said!) it’s just about working out schedules and making sure it’s as fantastic as we know it can be – and these things take a little time. Very sorry for any confusion! Good day sirs.”
Farnaby co-wrote the first film’s script with his longtime collaborator Paul King — the writer and director behind the Paddington film franchise.
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Wonka served as a prequel to 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory — starring Gene Wilder as the chocolatier — which is itself based on Dahl’s classic children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The latest film follows “a young, ambitious Willy Wonka as he arrives in a greedy city determined to open his own chocolate shop, using pure imagination to beat a corrupt local chocolate cartel,” according to an official description.
The supporting cast included Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant.
Following the box office success of Wonka and Dune: Part Two, Chalamet, 30, appears to have set his sights on more serious subject matter, earning widespread acclaim — and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor — for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.
He then starred in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, which earned him another Academy Award nomination, and he is next set to reprise his role as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three.
Chalamet made his feelings clear when accepting the Screen Actors Guild (now the Actor Awards) award for Best Actor in 2025.
“I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness,” he said. “I know people don’t usually talk like this, but I want to be one of the greats.”