Josh O'Connor wants to play a 'dark' Willy Wonka
What's the story
Who wouldn't want to immerse themselves in the sumptuous chocolate world?
After Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp, and more recently Timothée Chalamet, Hollywood actor Josh O'Connor has expressed his desire to play the chocolate mogul Willy Wonka.
O'Connor, who can be seen in Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, told WSJ Magazine that he would like to play a "dark" Wonka.
Wonka's character stems from Roald Dahl's classic book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The first time Dahl's classic novel was adapted for the screen was in 1971 when Wilder essayed the central role in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Then, in 2005, Depp added another box office hit to his name through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
In 2023, Chalamet starred in Wonka, which was also a commercial success and explored the origin story of the famous fictional character.
Interpretation
O'Connor's desires and ambitions for the role
O'Connor told WSJ, "I would love to play Willy Wonka. But like a dark Willy Wonka. I would really like to play a story of darker version of him."
"It's not dark in a sinister way. I think he's a really angry man."
"These kids win a competition to go around the chocolate factory and they all seemingly disappear. I mean, it's sort of mad and dark. So I think they're just playing the truth of it."
Career
O'Connor has starred in several notable projects in Hollywood
The actor has established himself with Les Misérables, Emma, and Peaky Blinders, as well as The Crown.
Currently, he is starring in Challengers, where he plays the role of tennis player Patrick Zweig and shares screen space with Zendaya and Mike Faist.
The film was released on April 26 and opened to decent box office collections and mostly positive reviews.