A couple of days ago, the Internet blew up when Warner Bros. released the first trailer for their upcoming film set in the Willy Wonka universe. Wonka is directed by Paul King, the guy who brought Paddington to the big screen two times and proved he could actually make a good, compelling adaptation of the adventures of a teddy bear trying to find a family in London. Of course, producers trusted King enough and green-lit the project as a prequel to the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. All they had to find next was someone who could play the iconic character whose past interpretations gave people something to talk about. And they found a Hollywood starlet who can apparently also give life to Wonka in his youngest years.
Timothée Chalamet seems to be the right guy to tackle the role. He's skilled enough in various genres and has a physicality that we can't help but feel is necessary to play Wonka's playful and almost hyperkinetic style. The trailer finally confirmed what we suspected: Chalamet's casting was spot-on. Curiously, people online seemed more interested in Hugh Grant playing an Oompa-Loompa, which is certainly a casting choice.
After seeing the trailer over and over, we feel we're not prepared yet for what's coming. This is why we've handpicked a few films that will help everyone get in the mood for exploring the Wonka-verse in a few months.
10 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is the one you have to see first in order to understand what kind of world you're getting into. We can't imagine Wonka being as weird as the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, but it's all about the unique character that is Willy and his ambition to produce the finest chocolate. Was that his only motivation in the first film of the franchise? Absolutely not, but you will probably have to discover that by yourself when you revisit the bizarre film that marked audiences more than 50 years ago and still is a subject of controversy today.
9 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory isn't as noteworthy as the 1971 film, but it's still a great addition to the universe of Wonka. It's a complete reboot of the previous film and a re-imagining of the novel by Roald Dahl. In the hands of Burton, the film can't be other than a bizarre adaptation that curiously feels more family-friendly than Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The film had so much hype in pre-production that even Marilyn Manson was in talks to play Wonka, as well as Michael Jackson who actually recorded some songs for the soundtrack, but kept them for himself after he didn't get the role.
8 The Wizard of Oz
1939's The Wizard of Oz is still the beautiful fantasy film Victor Fleming and King Vidor aimed to accomplish (yeah, the film should be credited to both directors). The story about Dorothy and Toto traveling to the Land of Oz to seek the wizard that'll make them return to Kansas is a classic adventure film that has all the personality that surely inspired the first film portraying Willy. And also we can't see why it couldn't have inspired Roald Dahl himself when he wrote the original 1964 novel.
7 Labyrinth
Jim Henson's modern classic Labyrinth will get you in the mood for Wonka. Fast. Starring Jennifer Connelly as the teenager who must travel to another dimension to find her baby brother after wishing him away to the king of goblins Jareth (David Bowie), Labyrinth is a celebration of puppets, practical effects, great music, and haunting imagery. It's hard not to see the connection, even if only aesthetically, between this one, The Wizard of Oz, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
6 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
The vastly underappreciated film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a children's adventure that never goes past its "safe zone." Certainly not like other films on this list. It tells the story of three orphans who get "adopted" by a vile man who only wants their fortune. It's the "most Tim Burton" film not directed by Tim Burton, and features Jim Carrey in probably the best role of his career, and... Meryl Streep? This multilayered children's film is still as entertaining today as it was when it was released almost 20 years ago.
5 The Witches
This is another one of Roald Dahl's adaptations, only this time it's all about witchcraft. The Witches tells the story Luke, a small boy who travels with his grandmother to a hotel where there's a witches convention. The thing is the horrible creatures have a plan to turn every child into a mouse. Luke discovers them a bit too late as he's turned into a mouse, and must find a way to fight the witches while being a rodent. Performances are pretty good, but the makeup effects are what make this nightmare fuel for children, and some adults as well.
4 The NeverEnding Story
There's a pattern in our selection, and that is "films that are seemingly adapted as a family adventure, but may be terrifying for children." Actually, scratch that and make it "terrifying for everyone." Or don't you find Artax's death traumatic? The NeverEnding Story is a great dark fantasy film from the '80s that tells the story of a young reader whose involvement with the book he's currently reading is a bit too "powerful." We won't spoil more if you're among the fortunate who have never seen The NeverEnding Story.
3 Big Fish
It's not a coincidence that Tim Burton shows up twice on a list containing slightly bizarre films. Just check out the early part of the man's career. Big Fish is among those that beautifully mixes Burton's eye for peculiar aesthetics, and the director's wish to tell more compelling stories. Big Fish is about a man whose quest for true love took him through a world of fantasy that only existed in his mind. This one you have to see for yourself in order to understand the real power of storytelling, an essential aspect of the Wonka franchise.
2 Pan's Labyrinth
Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth is far from being a traditional children's film. The violence is limited, and the scare factor could be more substantial, but whenever it's time to take out the big guns, the director does so with confidence. This is the story of Ofelia, a girl who's forced to live with her horrible stepfather and her pregnant mother during the Spanish Civil War, when she discovers a fantasy realm that she's strangely connected with.
1 The BFG
Another one of Dahl's works, The BFG, was adapted by Steven Spielberg in 2016. The result is a fantasy film that not many people liked, but still deserves attention. It tells the story of an orphan girl who befriends a huge giant who takes her to another world where they both must fight other not-so-friendly giants. The score by John Williams is outstanding, as well as the cinematography by one of Spielberg's frequent collaborators, Janusz Kamiński.
Wonka will be released in theaters on December 15, 2023.