The first look at Timothee Chalamet as eccentric chocolate factory owner Willy Wonka was revealed last year, gaining a mixed response online from fans of the previous big-screen iterations of Roald Dahl’s famous creation. Now a new set of images and videos taken in Oxford, England, have given another good look at Chalamet’s interpretation of Wonka as he continues filming on the prequel movie of the same name. Wonka will follow the character in the years before he settles into his most famous role as the reclusive owner of a wondrous factory and provides a brand-new backstory to the known world of Wonka.
Chalamet was seen around Oxford University as the shooting continued on the March 2023 release. Alongside the movie’s lead, Calah Lane also appeared in some scenes, and a brief glimpse of Hugh Grant was also spotted by those watching the recording. Currently, there is little known about the plot of the movie, but so far, it has been suggested that, among other things, it will feature Wonka’s first meeting with the Oompa-Loompas. You can check out the latest images and videos below.
Wonka initially kicked off filming in September 2021 around the U.K., with shoots taking place in Lyme Regis, Bath, the Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, and in Oxford during December and again this week. The project was originally put into development in 2016 after Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the Wonka character, and a couple of years later rumors began circulating of a shortlist of actors up for the lead role including Donald Glover, Ryan Gosling and Ezra Miller. In May 2021, it was finally revealed that Chalamet had been cast and would be joined by an all-star line-up including Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key and Matt Lucas.
Wonka Will Be One of Many Roald Dahl Movies Coming Soon, With Netflix Preparing a New Slate of Dahl Projects
While Warner Bros. already had rights for Wonka in place, a deal was struck last year between Netflix and the Roald Dahl Story Company, which will see a whole collection of adaptations across various mediums coming in the not too distant future, including a series based in the world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi and Phil Johnston. Another project known to be in production is an adaptation of Matilda: The Musical, but the deal opened up many other characters such as The BFG, The Twits, and Fantastic Mr. Fox, among others.
Over the decades, the books of Road Dahl have sold over 300 million copies worldwide and have already been adapted into movies such as an animated and live-action The BFG, two versions of The Witches, the most recent featuring Anne Hathaway as the Grand High Witch, James and the Giant Peach and TV series such as Revolting Rhymes and Esio Trot. With Wonka arriving in cinemas next March and Netflix ready to create a new universe of Dahl tales on screen, the popularity of Dahl’s works is not going to begin to diminish anytime soon.