Keegan-Michael Key Joins Warner Bros’ ‘Wonka’

AP

EXCLUSIVE: Primetime Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key has joined the cast of Wonka, the origin tale about Roald Dahl’s famed Willy Wonka character. His role and character details are under wraps.

Wonka will focus on a young Willy Wonka and his adventures prior to opening the world’s most famous chocolate factory. Key joins Timothée Chalamet who is singing and dancing in the title role, as Deadline first reported.

Paul King will direct from the screenplay he wrote with Simon Farnaby (with prior writers including Simon Rich, Simon Stephenson, Jeff Nathanson, and Steven Levenson). David Heyman is producing via his Heyday Films. Luke Kelly and Alexandra Derbyshire are also producing and Michael Siegel executive producing.

The Primetime Emmy winner of Comedy Central’s Key and Peele has been on a roll lately, starring in AppleTV+’s comedy musical series Schmigadoon! and the upcoming Hotel Transylvania: Transformania which is heading to Amazon from Sony. Key starred in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix movie The Prom last year as well as the streamer’s Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. He also is voicing Honest John in Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming Disney+ feature Pinocchio starring Tom Hanks.

Key is repped by UTA and Brecheen Feldman Breimer.