Childish Gambino Is in the Running to Become the Next Willy Wonka

Childish Gambino is going for chocolate gold. Sort of.

An exclusive news report from Collider claims Gambino—otherwise known as Donald Glover—is on the shortlist to become the next Willy Wonka in an upcoming film. The new movie is reportedly a prequel to the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and sees the Atlanta star facing off between Ryan Gosling and Ezra Miller for the prized role.The childhood classic's titular star, Gene Wilder, passed away two years ago.

According to reporters, the Emmy Award-winning actor has been "actively chasing this role," which doesn't seem so far-fetched given his extensive list of acting roles in recent years. In February 2017, news broke that he'll be playing Simba in the live-action remake of The Lion King, and his appearance as Lando Calrissian in Star Wars. His comedic sketches on Saturday Night Live—where he mimicked both Kanye West and Migos—make him a notable contender as well.

Though acting is merely one of Childish Gambino's callings, he hasn't stepped off the music train just yet. His powerful single, "This Is America," went platinum last Thursday (May 31), and he's currently working on his final album, which Young Thug has confirmed he is featured on. Maybe we'll get that joint project with Chance The Rapper this year, too.

"I feel like if I don't make a Chance The Rapper mixtape, like double mixtape, a bunch of 14-year-olds are gonna kick my ass," he told reporters in 2017. "So—they stop me on the street and it's kinda scary. So I feel like I gotta do something, and I probably will."

Stay tuned to find out if Glover becomes the next actor to take over the chocolate factory.

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