Wonka: everything we know about the prequel with Timothée Chalamet

Here’s everything we know about Wonka, the highly anticipated Chocolate Factory prequel that will star Timothée Chalamet as the iconic character.

Wonka this is the title of a prequel to Chocolate Factory, movie based on Roald Dahl’s beloved 1964 novel: a new film with Timothee Chalamet is in development at Warner Bros. since late 2016, and as the highly anticipated release date approaches, moviegoers recently got their first look at a new version of the iconic chocolatier. While it is now known that the film will focus on a never-before-seen period in Willy Wonka’s history, telling his origin story, many details surrounding the project are still shrouded in mystery. It is for this reason that fans of Roald Dahl and casual viewers who appreciated the past versions of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp have been circulating various theories regarding the new film online.

Chalamet (Dunes) will play the main character: the eccentric owner of a chocolate factory. Over the past few months, in addition to the trailer, which you can see below, some previews and a few promotional shots have also been released. The photos in question feature Chalamet in a signature brown top hat and long purple coat, the same look previously worn by Wilder in 1971 and Depp in 2005 for previous adaptations Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But when will the film come out? Who else is in the cast? Here’s everything we’ve learned about Paul King’s highly anticipated film.

Wonka release date

While the original date was March 17, 2023, the film’s official release date was later pushed back to December 15, 2023, although the studio never provided any statement regarding the reason for the delay. This new musical fantasy project was originally announced in October 2016 when Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the Roald Dahl character. The first producers to take part in the project were David Heyman (Harry Potter

) and Michael Siegel (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). King, who was already in talks to direct Wonka in February 2018, and Chalamet, who was cast in the title role in 2021, were subsequently hired.

Latest news and controversy caused by King’s film

The latest news surrounding the film touches on some of the controversy surrounding the project: casting Hugh grant like Oompa-Loompa, was heavily criticized for taking roles away from actors with dwarfism. Grant’s role in the film depicts him as being typically short. Oompa Loompa previously seen in The Chocolate Factory. However, several actors with dwarfism objected to this choice, including George Coppen, who suggested that such a choice makes all actors like him feel like they are.”excluded from the industry“

The issue is complicated because some have pointed out that the Oompa-Loompas are fictional characters, so it doesn’t matter which actors play the role. In support of this point, it should be mentioned that countless actors in recent years have openly denounced the woke movement, arguing that the role of an actor is precisely to put oneself in the shoes of something other than oneself. It’s important to note, however, that both the 1971 film and Tim Burton’s 2005 version featured actors with dwarfism playing the Oompa Loompas. In this context, it is easy to understand the frustration of these professionals in seeing the already limited opportunities offered to actors with dwarfism being given to successful actors like Grant through CGI.

While Grant’s casting in Wonka sparked much of the controversy surrounding the film, the real issue raised by actors with dwarfism concerns the general lack of opportunity and representation in films, with the actors in question saying they don’t want it.”by force“roles like Oompa-Loompas or gnomes in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs“, they would prefer that these were not the only roles that are offered to them.

‘Wonka’ Cast: Timothée Chalamet is Willy Wonka, but who else is there?

For many, Timothée Chalamet is already enough of a reason to watch the new film, and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa is also undoubtedly a plus in the eyes of many fans of the English actor. However, these two aren’t the only talented actors joining the cast: Keegan-Michael Key will play a cop in the town where Wonka is trying to set up shop, and the Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman

She will play a shop owner who warns Wonka about the city’s strict rules. Famous Mr. Bean actor, Rowan Atkinson, will play a priest, and Sally Hawkins will play the role of Willie’s mother. New character Kala Lane also plays an important role in the film, playing Willy’s new friend who is willing to help him on his mission.

Many more actors have been added to the series. official Wonka line-up although in uncredited roles: Matthew Baynton (Ghosts), Natasha Rothwell, Jim Carter (Shakespeare in Love) and Tom Davis (Paddington 2). The cast also includes Simon Farnaby (Your Highness), who co-wrote Wonka, and comedian Matt Lucas (Alice in Wonderland). During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about Chalamet’s performance, actress Keegan-Michael Key stated: “There’s a wonderful naturalness to his portrayal of Wonka, not to mention the fact that he imbues the character with a hopeful quality, a kind of indomitable will to never give up, always ready for the next challenge.“.

Is Wonka connected to the plot of Tim Burton’s Chocolate Factory?

Wonka’s story was revealed in the film’s first trailer, which confirmed that the new chapter will explore the origins of the young chocolatier. The film will examine some of the events that characterized Willy Wonka’s life much earlier than described. Chocolate Factory Tim Burton. We will see the origins of the main character, starting from the moment he returns from a trip around the world to improve his chocolate making skills. However, Wonka soon discovers that he has to face many problems, mainly due to the so-called “Chocolate cartel“which prevents anyone else from selling chocolate in shops in the city.

The film’s plot will also bring to the big screen a number of elements of Wonka’s origin story that were hinted at in Roald Dahl’s novels but never fully developed. Some of the events in question that fans are very excited about are Wonka’s first encounter with the Oompa Loompas and the appearance of the magical candies. There will also be a brief mention of the trauma that is part of Wonka’s past, the supposedly lost mother that Willy still carries with him. However, the entire story will be told in a light-hearted tone through Wonka’s musical numbers, which have made film history since the legendary original film starring Gene Wilder.