In 2005 Tim Burton and Johnny Depp combined their talents to reimagine Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delivering a very “Burtonesque” vision of the world of Willy Wonka. When it comes to this year’s prequel movie, Wonka, director Paul King took more inspiration from the classic 1971 Gene Wilder film when it came to the design of his Oompa Loompa.
The first trailer for Wonka revealed the best look yet at Hugh Grant as the orange-skinned, green-haired Oompa Looma that harks back to the style used in the original big screen version of Dahl’s story. When explaining why he wanted to return to that classic look, King cited his love of the movie as the reason why he couldn’t tamper with it. He told Empire Magazine:
“It just felt like that's what an Oompa Loompa was, in my head. I suppose because the '71 movie is so beloved by me, as well as other people, I didn't really want to reinvent the wheel on that. I felt like doing something that sat with that iconography. I love ‘Pure Imagination’, I love the Oompa Loompa songs, I loved how the Oompa Loompas looked. And that felt like the iconic look of Oompa Loompas.I couldn't do what Tim Burton does at all – because he's a genius – but I could never have taken that and remade it in the way he did. And I'm not sure I would want to, because I liked [the original] so much.”
Is Timothée Chalamet Right for the Role of Wonka?
Obviously, there are some roles that are hard to fill. As if it wasn’t difficult enough following in the footsteps of Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp’s take on the character also has a lot of fans. So the question is can Chalamet take on the challenge of bringing a younger version of Wonka to life?
The trailers only show so much, naturally, but there are many who have already made up their mind one way or the other as to whether the actor will be another great Willy or will fail to satisfy fans of the book and the previous movies. In general, Chalamet’s charm has won over many, but there are still plenty to be convinced that the film is going to be worth it.
One of the biggest problems facing the movies is its place in the Christmas release schedule, where it will be currently be facing competition from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2. Of course DC movies have been not proving that popular right now, to the light musical fantasy of Wonka could easily draw families away from the superhero offering. Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a triumphant return for the franchise in 2021, and the sequel could do well with the return of both the old and new stars of the franchise.
Wonka is currently being released on December 15, 2023, but promotion for the movie will all depend on whether the current strikes have been resolved by then.