Just when you think you’ve seen every origin story going (hello Cruella and Maleficient), Hollywood treats us to another. And ‘treat’ just happens to be the operative word as, this time, it’s Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, whose getting the prequel treatment.
And who better to play him than Timothée Chalamet? The 25-year-old actor, who has starred in multiple blockbusters including Call Me By Your Name and Little Women, has been confirmed as the young Wonka, along with a number of other huge names from The Crown and Downton Abbey. Here’s everything we know about Wonka.
Is there a trailer for Wonka yet?
There is! The first look at the Willy Wonka prequel dropped on 11th July 2023, and wow are we excited. The trailer tells the story of a young chocolatier’s desire to make it in the competitive business, who thinks up weird and wonderful ways for his creations to get attention:
What have we seen of Wonka so far?
Timothée Chalamet himself first treated us to early pictures of him in character as the young Willy Wonka. Sharing some behind-the-scenes pictures from the set on Instagram, Timothée posted a snap in his full Wonka outfit, complete with the character’s iconic red jacket and top hat. The costume is eerily similar to that worn by Johnny Depp as Wonka in the 2005 version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – and Timothée looks, well, exactly how you’d expect the young Willy Wonka to look.
Timothée also shared a close-up of Wonka’s famous cane, and the attention to detail looks epic. “The suspense is terrible, I hope it will last,” Timothée wrote in the caption, adding simply, “… 🏭WONKA🍫”. Yep, we officially can’t wait. Take a look at Timothée in action here.
What will Wonka be about?
While there haven’t been any plot details released (yet), Wonka is expected to delve into the chocolate-extraordinaire’s younger years prior to opening his chocolate factory. Hopefully, it will provide an insight into how he became quite so obsessed with chocolate.
It’s worth noting that Tim Burton’s 2005 adaption of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory contained brief glimpses into Wonka’s childhood. We learn that Wonka is estranged from his dentist father who strictly forbade him from eating sweets as a child. Wonka then runs away from home after eating a sweet and instantly becoming hooked.
Via Getty Images
It’ll be intriguing to see whether Wonka builds on Burton’s narrative or strikes out with an entirely new version of events. We do know that the film is expected to contain a few musical numbers. Excitingly, this will be Timothée’s first chance to show off his dancing and singing skills on the big screen.
Who will star in Wonka?
As of May 2021, it was confirmed that Timothée will be playing Willy Wonka himself. He’s the third actor to play this fascinating character and this is the third time Warner Bros have taken inspiration from Dahl’s cherished children’s book.
They’ve previously adapted it into a screenplay in 1971, when Gene Wilder was cast as Wonka, and in 2005, with Johnny Depp taking on the important role. However, this is the first time that the book’s leading character, Charlie Bucket, will not feature at all.
Via Getty Images
Alongside Chalamet, the rest of the cast is made up of some equally huge names, including The Crown‘s Olivia Colman, Paddington star Sally Hawkins, Downton Abbey‘s Jim Carter and Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr Bean).
Making up the rest of the cast we have Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education), Patterson Joseph (Peep Show, Vigil), Keegan-Michael Key (The Lion King) and Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus).
Via Monica Schipper//Getty Images
Is there a release date for Wonka?
Wonka will be released in cinemas on 15th December 2023.
Via Cosmopolitan UK