The world's most famous chocolatier is brought back to life on the big screen by Timothée Chalamet in the first look images for Wonka, the prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, based on the iconic characters by children's author Roald Dahl.
The Dune star will go down in history along with Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp as one of the actors who's been able to put himself in the shoes and don the famous top hat of the owner of the most popular fictional chocolate factory in all of movie history. Almost 20 years after Depp starred in the film directed by Tim Burton, Chalamet will get to show the character's past in the new Warner Bros. Pictures movie.
Wonka will focus on how Willy's factory ended up becoming a magical place full of secrets, and how his alliance with the Oompa-Loompas helped make that possible. Already in Burton's adaptation, a bit of the character's past was revealed, delving into the broken relationship with his father, something that could also have relevance in this prequel.
However, from what the first images released by People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly show, there is no doubt that Wonka seeks to deliver a magical, fun and musical adventure with an extremely positive and bright message:
Joining Chalamet will be Hugh Grant playing an Oompa-Loompa, Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson, and Sally Hawkins, among others. Directed by Paul King (Paddington), Wonka is set to hit theaters on December 15.
The Story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Published in 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the third children's novel published by Roald Dahl after The Gremlins and James and the Giant Peach, stories that will also sound familiar to any movie lover.
The story centers on Charlie Bucket, a boy who lives in a humble house with his parents and grandparents, with barely enough money to eat every night. Every year for his birthday, Charlie receives a single bar of chocolate as a gift. Until one year changes everything.
The Wonka Chocolate Factory announces a great contest for its consumers. The boy or girl who finds one of the golden tickets inside their tablet will be part of the lucky five who will be able to visit the factory that has been closed to the public for years after the owner was betrayed and its secrets sold to the competition.
After finding the ticket, Charlie and his paternal grandfather Joe approach the factory for the long-awaited visit. They are joined by other winners Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde and Mike Teavee, who don't seem overly interested in the factory or what it stands for, simply impressing Willy Wonka to win the prize, even when they don't know what it is.
Little by little, due to their bad attitudes, the children are eliminated from the competition after falling into a trap in the factory until only Charlie remains. At that moment, Willy reveals to Charlie that the grand prize is that he will inherit his factory, and they take the entire Bucket family to live inside it.