The ongoing event known as CinemaCon continues to deliver the cinematic goods and offers a new take on the upcoming musical prequel, Wonka. Starring Academy Award-nominated Timothée Chalamet as the young version of the eccentric chocolatier, Wonka is all set to land in theaters just in time for the holiday season later this year in mid-December.
Directed by Paddington And Paddington2 filmmaker Paul King from a screenplay written by King and Simon Farnaby (Paddington2), Wonka will introduce a much younger version of the Roald Dahl character than fans are used to. The film explores the early years of the titular chocolate fanatic, telling the story of a young Willy Wonka and his adventures before opening the world’s most famous chocolate factory. The extended trailer released at CinemaCon sees Wonka dealing with a dangerous “chocolate cartel” and dealing with an Oompa Loompa played by none other than Hugh Grant.
Wonka will feature an all-star cast alongside Timothée Chalamet, including Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu, the Super Mario Bros. movie), Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean, Johnny English), Sally Hawkins (The shape of water), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Olivia Colman (The crown), Matthew Baynton (Ghosts), Tom Davis (Murder in Succesville), Simon Farnaby (The phantom of openness), Rich Fulcher (The mighty bad), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Mary Poppins returns), Paterson Joseph (Noughts + Crosses), and Matt Lucas (Alice in Wonderland).
Thanks to the likes of both 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and the 2005 remake Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp, the world of Willy Wonka is now closely associated with musicals. And Wonka won’t be any different, with the prequel set to feature original songs courtesy of the band’s vocalist Neil Hannon The Divine Comedy.
Wonka will feature all kinds of musical numbers
Thanks to standout performances such as Call me by your name, little women, And Dune, Timothée Chalamet is now one of the most sought-after A-listers in Hollywood. And his Wonka co-star Keegan-Michael Key can’t say enough good things about the young actor and his obvious talents, as well as his starring role in the upcoming musical.
“There’s a great effortlessness to how he plays Wonka, not to mention there’s a hopeful quality he brings to the character, a kind of indomitable quality that he’ll never give up, he’s always up for the next thing, Key said. of the actor. “He said, ‘Okay, that didn’t work out? We’ll do this and we’ll try something else.’ And Timothée Chalamet, what can I say? Sacrébleu! This boy, you know, he’s dripping with charisma and tremendous confidence. He’s just a really wonderful performer.”
Wonka will feature all sorts of music tracks for Timothée Chalamet, and even a few for Keegan-Michael Key. “He has seven music tracks and I have two, one of which is a group number and another is a smaller group number,” Key revealed before teasing about the scope of Wonka. “I agree with all the adjectives Timothée used, and I would also like to add the words wonderful and a little epic. It’s a beautiful, big, full, beautiful piece of art and Paul King, who directed it, is a delightful human being with a wonderful, childlike heart. He was the perfect person to lead the project.”
Wonka is scheduled for release on December 15, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.