PRH and Roald Dahl Estate reveal 'Wonka' film tie-in with Pounder

Puffin and The Roald Dahl Story Company have announced a tie-in novelisation for the “Wonka” film with children’s author Sibéal Pounder.

The Warner Bros Pictures film is a prequel based on the central character of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Puffin), focused on Willy Wonka’s origins and career. It is created by Paul King (writer and director of the Paddington films) and written for film by King along with writer and actor Simon Farnaby.

Puffin will publish Wonka as a film tie-in novelistation by Pounder on 15th December 2023 alongside the film’s UK cinema release.

Ruth Knowles, Puffin publishing director, said: “As the bestselling author of Bad Mermaids and Witch Wars series [Bloomsbury], Sibéal Pounder is an expert in crafting stories for young readers full of irreverent humour, charismatic characters and magic. Sibéal is the perfect voice to bring the story of the ‘Wonka’ movie to the page and we’re excited that families and young people will have the chance to enjoy the magic of ‘Wonka’ on screen and as a book this winter.”

Pounder said: “I admire everything Paul King and Simon Farnaby create, so to have the opportunity to work with their story and screenplay of the great chocolatier was a true delight.

"Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was such a pivotal text when I was growing up and that chocolate river is as vivid in my mind as any real life childhood memories. It’s been a special project to work on, the script is as magical and hilarious as the story that inspired it, and it has been so much fun adapting it for kids to devour in book form.”