The Big Picture
- Timothee Chalamet’s portrayal of Wonka brings success to Warner Bros. as the film surpasses $200M domestically.
- The prequel film introduces a new generation to the beloved character with its warm visuals, emotional story, and Chalamet’s perfect performance.
- Alongside Chalamet, the film features compelling performances from Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, and a talented ensemble cast.
Timothée Chalamet’s run as Wonka is turning out to be a fruitful one. WBD’s Christmas release after a string of flops last year has brought some solace to the studio as it steadily climbs at the box office with each passing week. The Paul King-directed feature has become the 8th film released in 2023 to cross $200M at the domestic box office. Meanwhile, the film brought in another $10.4 million internationally, pushing its global box office haul to $571.7 million.
The prequel charts the life of the fan-favorite chocolatier before he turns into the Willy Wonka we know him to be. The movie charmed its way into the audiences’ hearts and has been reigning still two months down the line. It follows a young Willy (Chalamet), a budding chocolatier who is striving to establish his reputation after his mother’s passing. However, things change when he decides to confront the Chocolate Cartel in the city and embarks on a journey to create his confectionery empire along with some friends in tow.
The feature proved to be an excellent family watch with warm, fuzzy visuals and an emotional story at its core, which introduces a new generation to the beloved character. There is a lot of singing and dancing in the feature, but it isn’t a through-and-through musical – a fact that helps elevate the film further. Chalamet plays the character to perfection, bringing out different shades of Wonka’s personality as the world’s greatest inventor, and magician along with being a brilliant chocolate maker. He’ll be next seen in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune 2, another Warner Bros big-budget feature, which is highly anticipated by fans. The sequel is also expected to make big bucks at the box office and if it surpasses Wonka’s success, then it’ll set a good tone for him for the rest of the year.
The Cast and Crew Behind ‘Wonka’
Along with Chalamet, there are some compelling performances in the film like Hugh Grant’s Oompa-Loompa, and Olivia Colman’s sly Mrs. Scrubitt. Also in the cast are Calah Lane as Noodle, Paterson Joseph as Arthur Slugworth, Matt Lucas as Prodnose, Mathew Baynton as Ficklegruber, Sally Hawkins as Willy Wonka’s mother, and Rowan Atkinson as a priest. Further rounding off the cast are Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Natasha Rothwell, Rich Fulcher, Rakhee Thakrar, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Simon Farnaby, Colin O’Brien, Ellie White, and more. King directs from a script he co-wrote with Simon Farnaby. The movie is produced by David Heyman, Alexandra Derbyshire, and Luke Kelly.
Wonka is in theatres now. You can check out our review here.
Wonka
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, ‘Wonka’ tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.
- Release Date
- December 15, 2023
- Director
- Paul King
- Runtime
- 116 minutes
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Writers
- Simon Farnaby , Paul King , Roald Dahl
- Studio
- Warner Bros.
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