Paul King's Wonka prequel is promising a different but still exciting and very musical adventure into the origins of the world-famous chocolatier, especially after the debut of the first official trailer a couple of days ago. One of the biggest takeaways from it was of course the grand appearance of Hugh Grant as one of the all-too-familiar Oompa Loompas and his piccolo flute. While being a delightful throwback to the classic Willy Wonka film from 1971, it was hard not to notice Grant's impeccably delivered sarcastic undertone, something the actor is quite known for. As it turns out, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the sarcasm was exactly the reason why director Paul King cast Grant in the first place.
Wonka is set as a charming prequel and origin story to the original 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which had comedian and actor Gene Wilder deliver a performance still memorable to this day. Helmed by Paul King, who previously worked on both Paddington live-action films, the director brought aboard a remarkably talented cast including Timothee Chalamet (Dune: Part One) as a younger version of Wonka, along with Keegan Michael-Key (The Super Mario Bros. Movie), Sally Hawkins (Spencer), Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite), and Hugh Grant, who previously worked with King on Paddington 2 (2017). When asked what his thought process was about putting Chalamet in the shoes of young Wonka, King noted how introspective he is for his age, and able to bring forth incredible emotional turns at the drop of a (top) hat.
“I really do think he’s the most incredible actor of his generation, because he’s got this incredible ability to dive very deep into his own personal emotions and convey things with the turn of an eye — he’s very, very controlled, very smart and incredibly emotionally intuitive.”
Why King Wanted Hugh Grant So Badly For the Film
Of course the world of Wonka isn't entirely complete without the inclusion of his all-too-recognizable, orange-faced Oompa Loompas. Mysterious caricatures within the world original author Roald Dahl built, they keep Wonka's factory going on a daily basis, all while displaying notably sardonic personalities and spontaneously breaking into song when something significant happens. While Tim Burton's rendition in 2005 took its own very eccentric route with Johnny Depp, it's evident that King's version will hearken back to the classic roots of the 1971 film.
When it comes to the Loompas, however, it seems that Hugh Grant at the very least has been given the green light to take it in a far more expressive direction. At the end of the trailer, brandishing the piccolo flute normally carried by Wonka himself, Grant Loompa breaks out into an amusingly sarcastic dialogue about their propensity to break out into song with no way to stop. This characteristic of Grant's acting is what immediately drew King to the actor. In his own words during the interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Grant is “the funniest, most sarcastic sh** [Paul King]’s ever met,”, and therefore absolutely perfect for the role.
Wonka rolls into theaters this Christmas on December 15. Check out the latest trailer for the film below.