Johnny Depp Offered Role Of Willy Wonka
Frequent Colleague Burton Directing New Adaptation Of Story

One of Tim Burton's regular cast members could be joining the director again to play Willy Wonka.

Johnny DeppAccording to Variety, Johnny Depp has been offered the part of Wonka for a new film adaptation of author Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,"

Depp's worked with Burton as the misunderstood title character in the fantasy "Edward Scissorhands," as the title character in the biography film about famed B-moviemaker Ed Wood in the quirky comedy drama "Ed Wood," and as Ichabod Crane in the horror film version of Washington Irving's classic tale "Sleepy Hollow."

Dahl's estate is counting on Burton doing a better job than the first version, "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" starring Gene Wilder, since Dahl reportedly hated that version.

Depp's currently starring in the summer blockbuster hit "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." He's previously starred in such films as "Chocolat," "Blow" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

In addition to his projects with Depp, Burton has directed such films as "Batman," "Batman Returns," "Beetlejuice" and a remake of "Planet of the Apes."

According to the Internet Movie Database, filming is expect to get under way for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" in 2004. Among the producers on the project are married star couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

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