Timotheé Chalamet has a busy few months ahead of him. Not only is he starring in Dune: Part Two alongside Zendaya, but he'll also get top billing in the latest reimagining of Willy Wonka with Warner Bros.'s Wonka, following in the sweet, chocolatey footsteps of Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder. Of course, fans know the character from the Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but the man behind the candy factory is probably more widely known because of his movie appearances.

Courtesy WB

"I think what's so remarkable about his performance is not only that he is funny and mischievous and quite mysterious, as well — just like the Willy Wonka that people will know — but also, he brings such heart to the role and he's a brilliant actor," director Paul King, who was also behind Paddington and its sequel, told People. "He's incredibly emotionally intelligent and can bring a great deal of emotional truth to the role."

"The film tells the story of a young Willy Wonka, who comes to an uptight European center of chocolate with all these very fancy chocolate shops that sell candy at sharply inflated prices," he explains of the new film, which is set to hit theaters on Dec. 15. "He brings this riot of color and energy and the future, and a lot more joyous sense of it."

"It's really a tour de force for him there," King added of Chalamet's take on the iconic character. "He was rehearsing for months before we went to kind of that honing skills, which was a pleasure to watch."

Courtesy WB

In addition to Timothée, Wonka's cast includes Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Jim Carter, and Matt Lucas. Sally Hawkins is set to play Wonka's mother.