Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Wonka film starring Timothee Chalamet.
Wonka is an upcoming musical fantasy film that is set to hit the cinemas on December 8th. The film tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, the main character in Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, who will be portrayed by actor Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet will be the third actor to execute this role following Gene Wilder (1971) and Johnny Depp (2005). However, unlike these previous renditions, ‘Wonka’ is set to delve deep into the development of the man behind the chocolate.
According to Warner Brother Studios, it has been their intention since 2016 to tell the chocolatier’s own story; the film’s director, Paul King, exclaimed the following in an interview with GamesRadar, “Willy Wonka is a very mysterious figure in the books. But I also felt that I did know who this person was. This is somebody who’s clearly been damaged by cruelty. He’s a certain age, and he’s had the slings and arrows of life, and to dig into that was a real challenge.”
Clearly, finding the perfect fit for such as obscure character is a vital part of maintaining the magic in a highly anticipated film; so why Chalamet?
Well, the 27-year-old acclaimed actor wasn’t the only shortlisted candidate for the role. In 2018 when King was negotiating a directing contract, it was reported that Ryan Gosling, Tom Holland and Donald Glover were all nominated for the role of Willy Wonka for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel. In January 2021, outstanding suspicions were confirmed and director, Paul King, offered Timothee Chalamet the title role with no auditions after watching the actor’s YouTube performance videos that demonstrated his exceptional singing and dancing skills. Alongside Chalamet, the film will also feature some of the big Hollywood names, including Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman and Rowan Atkinson.
However, the movie has received lots of scepticism on TikTok, as people are unsure whether Chalamet will be able to match the fantastic performances of the two previous Willy Wonkas: Wilder and Depp. Whilst people are excited about the idea of finding out how ‘Willy became Wonka’ according to the trailer, they are less keen on the ‘forced quirkiness’ of Chalamet, as described by TikTok movie channel, Anthony Jeselnik. He told his 669,200 followers that the Dune star is going to fail to match ‘the best movie ever’, referencing the original Willy Wonka film starring Gene Wilder. He also added that he is not interested in the origin story of Wonka, stating, “Why do you want to see him when he’s young? I hate that with a movie where they’re like, hey, you know you love this character? What about from way before? See how they got to the point that you were interested in them? I don’t care”.
This isn’t the only person to express their concerns about the movie; YouTube content creator, Dannyrayes, predicted the film as ‘one of the biggest flops of the year’. The video, with 32,000 likes, reiterates the doubt that Jeselnik had about Chalamet, criticising the contrast between the serious films he usually features in and the next film he is set to star in. The content creator criticised Chalamet’s alleged ‘overacting’ and proceeded to add that ‘it will fail on Rotten Tomatoes’, which could diminish the film’s chances of success before it has even hit the big screens. Is it possible that widespread bad reviews could destroy the film’s reputation and discourage viewers?
However, not all the reviews are negative, with many people claiming they are looking forward to the light-hearted fun that movies directed by Paul King often are. Given King’s previous success directing the much-loved Paddington films, many people have their expectations set high and are hoping Wonka will contain a similar style of humour that is sure to make the audience feel happy in the run up to Christmas. Writing in The Standard, Beril Naz Hassan said that the film ‘promises to be a heartwarming affair that will add cheer to the Christmas countdown.’ King’s last film to be released at Christmas, Paddington 2, in 2017, received high praise from audiences and critics alike, who gave it a score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite the doubt about Chalamet playing the role, Wonka, like all Roald Dahl film adaptations, promises to bring much excitement, as adults and children alike enjoy the books they used to, or currently, love reading. Many, excluding some critics, will be very pleased to find how Wonka became the amazing chocolate maker many of us have laughed at. With King’s commendable reputation for producing a quality film and the Wonka cast, who are known collectively by both children and adult audiences, the film looks to be an excellent reason to visit the cinema during the festive season. So, grab some chocolate (Wonka brand preferably) and see what the film has to offer!
By Charlotte Sumner-Wilson and Morti Woodhall
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Alford