Willy Wonka could be a woman in prequel

Producers of a new movie centred on Roald Dahl's beloved character Willy Wonka are reportedly considering casting a female actress in the role of the eccentric chocolatier from the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

Warner Bros acquired the rights to the character from the Dahl estate in 2016 and is in the process of putting together a production team for a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, which is to be set before the construction of the iconic chocolate factory.

Paddington-director Paul King has signed on to direct the film, which is being produced by Harry Potter-producer David Heyman.

Heyman has previously said the film will not be a straight remake, telling Slash Film, "They have already done two films, quite different. But it's possibly an origin story."

The late Gene Wilder was the first to play Wonka onscreen, opposite child actor Peter Ostrum as Charlie Bucket, in the 1971 musical, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp later took on the role for a 2005 version, under the direction of filmmaker Tim Burton.

Brad Pitt was previously linked to the role for the upcoming prequel.