Timothée Chalamet Does It All—Seriously!—In the First 'Wonka' Trailer
Have you ever wanted to see Timothée Chalamet swim in a sea of chocolate and dance through the halls of a candy factory? Well, consider your wish granted. This winter, you'll see the 27-year-old actor do all that (and more) in the movie musical, Wonka. The upcoming film, directed by Paul King, is the latest adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Chalamet as Willy Wonka.
Early on Tuesday afternoon, Wonka's trailer finally released to the masses, and... it's... something! The trailer includes chocolate fountains, giraffes, and even Hugh Grant playing a frighteningly orange Ooompa Loompa. Did Hugh Grant's dancing Oompa Loompa finally break me? Yes. Yes it did. Mainly, though, we see Chalamet's take on Wonka—and Paul Atriedes he is not. Timmy Tim slings chocolate, quips with Wilderian charm, and flies (!!!). We'll have to see more to decide where Chalamet lands on the camp-to-pure-optimism scale, but for now, it's nice to see our man having a good time in a purple suit. Check out the trailer below—and keep reading for everything we know about Wonka.
What is Wonka About?
First, if you're unfamiliar with Roald Dahl's novel: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory follows an impoverished boy named Charlie, who wins a golden ticket to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, where he learns a valuable lesson about privilege and gratitude. Since its release in 1964, the book has been adapted into three movies. The first film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starred Gene Wilder as the wacky chocolatier. In 2005, Johnny Depp took on the role in the reboot, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Now, Chalamet will take the reins in Wonka, which was written as a prequel to the novel.
The story centers around Wonka’s plight to open the chocolate factory, while a dangerous chocolate cartel tries to thwart his plans. In previous iterations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka’s character is portrayed as cynical or greedy. But in Wonka, the character has a sunnier disposition—which very much comes across in the trailer. “This Willy is full of joy and hope and desire to become the greatest chocolatier,” Chalamet said.
Who’s Starring in Wonka?
Aside from Chalamet, the cast includes, yes, Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa—and Sally Hawkins as Willy Wonka’s mother. Olivia Coleman and Rowan Atkinson show up in the preview as well. And before you ask: Charlie, the young boy who’s appeared in every other adaptation, will not be present in Wonka. Given this is a prequel, we can expect to meet a new cast of delightfully strange characters.
When Does Wonka Debut?
After a production delay, Wonka finally has a new release date. The movie premieres in theaters on December 15, 2023.
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