Taika Waititi Plays a Post-Prison Willy Wonka in CHARLIE VS. THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Animated Film

Willy Wonka apparently went to prison for turning a kid into a blueberry. Now he’s out, he wants his chocolate factory back, and Taika Waititi is providing the voice.

Netflix is bringing Roald Dahl’s candy-making madman back for Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, a new animated movie that takes the Wonka story in a direction we definitely didn’t expect.

The film will arrive in theaters on November 5, 2027, before making its Netflix debut on December 22, 2027, and the combination of its strange premise and impressive voice cast makes this one worth keeping an eye on.

Waititi will voice Willy Wonka, while Kit Connor takes on the role of Charlie Paley. The rest of the newly revealed cast includes Kate Winslet, Helena Bonham Carter, Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton, Charithra Chandran of One Piece, Samson Kayo of F1, and Christopher Chung of Slow Horses.

The story picks up years after Wonka's infamous Golden Ticket contest, and apparently there were some serious legal consequences for everything that happened inside that factory. Specifically, Violet Beauregarde becoming a giant blueberry was enough to land Wonka in prison.

Here’s the official synopsis: “In Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, Wonka (Waititi) has spent the years since the infamous Golden Ticket contest behind bars — and not the chocolate kind — for the crime of turning a child into a blueberry. Having served his time, he returns to his factory determined to add a little sweetness to a bitter world.

“But one thing stands in his way: Charlie Paley (Connor) and his friends. Facing eviction, this next generation of so-called “rotten” kids hatch a plan to break into the factory, steal a priceless Wonka Bar, and save their homes. Like the children who came before them, however, they soon discover that the fantastical world inside the factory may be more than they can chew…”

So, this isn't another straightforward adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Instead, it is a continuation and reinvention of the familiar story, complete with an older Wonka, a new Charlie, another group of troublemaking kids, and a heist involving a priceless Wonka Bar.

There’s something wonderfully ridiculous about treating the events of the original story as actual criminal offenses. When you think about it, Wonka probably did have some explaining to do after several children entered his factory and emerged stretched, shrunk, purple, or otherwise traumatized by experimental candy.

Jared Stern, whose credits include The LEGO Batman Movie, is directing alongside Elaine Bogan of Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. According to the film’s press release, the movie will feature “original songs, new characters, and even a few familiar faces, all wrapped in the signature British charm of Roald Dahl’s iconic world.”

Waititi is also serving as an executive producer, and he sounds pretty excited about getting the chance to play Wonka.

“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’s so special to me, and the opportunity to voice such an iconic, eccentric candy genius—if a little mischievous at times—is hugely exciting.”

Waititi and Willy Wonka actually feels like a pretty natural pairing. Wonka requires someone who can bounce between playful, eccentric, charming, and slightly unsettling, sometimes within the same conversation. Waititi certainly has the personality and comedic instincts to have some fun with that.

His involvement also has some history. Netflix announced back in 2020 that Waititi was developing two animated projects based on the world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, including one centered on the Oompa-Loompas.

Those projects haven't materialized, and it now looks possible that the plans evolved into Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory or were shelved as this movie moved forward.

Another interesting piece of the puzzle is Netflix's release strategy. Giving Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory a theatrical launch on November 5 followed by its streaming premiere on December 22 gives the animated film a sizable exclusive theatrical window.

That's unusual territory for Netflix, especially considering filmmakers such as Rian Johnson and Guillermo del Toro haven't received comparable theatrical runs for their Netflix projects.

That suggests the streamer has some serious confidence in what Stern, Bogan, Waititi, and the rest of the team are cooking up.

A post-prison Willy Wonka trying to reclaim his factory while a new generation of kids plans a chocolate heist wasn't exactly the next chapter we expected from Roald Dahl's world, but it sounds wonderfully strange.

If the filmmakers embrace the darker, mischievous side of Wonka while delivering the imaginative candy-fueled insanity audiences expect, Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory could be a very fun surprise.