Willy Wonka Animated Movie Announced

Netflix and Sony Pictures have announced Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, a new take on the classic children’s story set to release in 2027.

Directed by The LEGO Batman Movie’s Jared Stern, and from the same Sony Pictures Imageworks studio as KPop Demon Hunters and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the animated film will also feature the vocal talents of Heartstopper’s Kit Connor and Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi.

Actor and director Waititi will lend his voice to Willy Wonka, the legendary chocolatier previously portrayed on screen by Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp and — most recently — Timothée Chalamet. Connor, meanwhile, will play new character Charley Paley — who sounds decidedly different from the classic story’s Charlie Bucket.

Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory tells a new story, set years after Wonka’s infamous Golden Ticket contest. Indeed, Wonka has just returned to his factory following a stint behind bars (for turning a child into a blueberry, as seen in the original Charlie and the Chocolate factory book and film).

“Having served his time, Wonka returns to his factory determined to add a little sweetness to a bitter world,” reads an official blurb. “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…”

Artwork shown today reveals a modern London skyline dominated by the colorful Wonka chocolate factory, its building towering over nearby terraced houses. Enormous purple glass windows and a bright pink Wonka logo can be seen, while tall chimneys puff out a rainbow of colored smoke. In the foreground, a bored-looking teen with blond hair looks on, dressed in a hoodie and jeans and holding a lollipop.

Other upcoming movies from Sony include Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (currently due June 18, 2027) and a K-Pop Demon Hunters sequel, not expected before 2029.

Image credit: Netflix

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social