First Look: Timothée Chalamet Stars as Willy Wonka in Roald Dahl’s Prequel Film
The highly anticipated trailer for “Wonka,” a prequel to the classic “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl, has just been released. This sneak peek offers viewers a glimpse of Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet portraying the iconic character of Willy Wonka during his earlier years.
Chalamet, renowned for his roles in “Dune” and “Call Me by Your Name,” steps into the shoes of the eccentric chocolate tycoon before he opens his legendary factory. In the film, Wonka spends an impressive “seven years traveling the world perfecting” his craft. Joining Chalamet on this imaginative adventure are notable actors such as Hugh Grant as a CGI Oompa Loompa, Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, and Keegan-Michael Key.
In an interview, Chalamet expressed his excitement about working on a project that would captivate a young and idealistic audience. He stated, “To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy… In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there’s so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate.”
The film is directed by Paul King, known for his work on the beloved “Paddington” movies, who has hailed Chalamet’s portrayal of the iconic character. King remarked, “I think what’s so remarkable about his performance is not only that he is funny and mischievous and quite mysterious, as well – just like the Willy Wonka that people will know – but also, he brings such heart to the role… He’s incredibly emotionally intelligent and can bring a great deal of emotional truth to the role.” In addition, King revealed that the film pays homage to “old-time musicals” through its impressive musical numbers.
Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp have previously portrayed Willy Wonka in the 1971 adaptation and Tim Burton’s 2005 version, respectively. “Wonka” follows the successful release of Dahl’s “Matilda” adaptation earlier this year and precedes a lineup of exciting new Dahl projects coming to Netflix. The streaming giant made a major deal with the author’s estate in 2021, with Taika Waititi and Wes Anderson attached to future releases.
Fans of Chalamet will also catch him in the highly anticipated sci-fi sequel “Dune 2” and the biopic “A Complete Unknown,” where he portrays music legend Bob Dylan. But the release of “Wonka” this December is undoubtedly an event that fans of Dahl’s enchanting world cannot miss.
