Willy Wonka Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in the 1971 classic. Warner Bros

Warner Bros is working on a Willy Wonka reboot based on Roald Dahl's beloved children's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with the director of Paddington and Paddington 2 in line to helm the project.

Paul King is in talks to direct according to Variety. King is currently has no projects in the pipeline following the success of his two critically-adored family adventures starring Michael Bond's beloved marmalade-loving Londoner.

Gene Wilder famously portrayed eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka in 1971's big screen adaptation Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

In 2005 Johnny Depp played the role in Tim Burton's more faithful, but far less revered remake, which took its name from the source material rather than the first film.

In October 2016, Variety reported that Warner Bros was eyeing a possible prequel focused on the Wonka character before Charlie wins a visit to his factory.

The project, still produced by David Heyman, had The Secret Life of Pets scribe Simon Rich on board to pen a script.

The project may well have turned into a more straightforward adaptation of Dahl's book since that story. Variety's most recent report does not specify either way.

Dahl wrote two stories featuring Willy Wonka, the first about a group of children's deadly visit to the factory, the next - Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator - is a direct sequel that involves a space hotel, the President of the United States and shape-shifting aliens.

A lot of people forget that.

Another sequel was planned called Charlie in the White House, but Dahl only wrote its first chapter.

King's first high-profile success was directing cult BBC comedy The Mighty Boosh. His big screen break came with Paddington, an adaptation most expect the worst from, but which became an instant family favourite.

The film starred Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, with Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton and Nicole Kidman as a villainous taxidermist.

A sequel, released last year, reviewed even better thanks to fun performances from new cast members Brendan Gleeson and Hugh Grant (who even earned himself a Bafta nomination for his scenery-chewing role.