As ardent film fans doubtless already know, we’re getting a new film inspired by Roald Dahl’s perennial children’s classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Directed by Paddington maestro Paul King, Wonka is due in cinemas around the world this December. And what’s more, the iconic role of elite chocolatier Willy Wonka will be essayed by none other than rising (or risen, really—he’s doing quite well for himself) star Timothée Chalamet.
Chalamet, who first came to prominence in the critically acclaimed Call Me by Your Name before racking up a string of impressive performances in the likes of Lady Bird, Little Women, and The French Dispatch, scored his biggest role in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, with Dune: Part Two due later this year. In that, he plays “universal superbeing” and ambivalent messiah Paul Atreides, destined to unite the universe after a violent holy war—you know, that old trope.
In Wonka, however, he’ll be playing a different kind of messiah, one powered not by the spice melange but by chocolate, destined to bring all the sugar-hungry children of the world together under his banner. Wonka is, in fact, an origin story, telling the confectionary king’s early adventures before he climbed to the top of the candy heap.
Of course, this is not the first time Willy Wonka has been brought to the big screen, and Chalamet is not the first actor to play him (he does have the best cheekbones, though). Released in 1971, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory saw legendary and much-missed comedian Gene Wilder play the role, imbuing Wonka with a slightly sinister mischievousness balanced with a palpable sense of wonder. Indeed, his performance is widely regarded as one of his signature roles.
The, in 2005 we got Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from professional spooky kid Tim Burton. While previous directors had considered Nicolas Cage and Jim Carrey for the role, when Burton signed on the first and only name that came to his mind was Johnny Depp—which surprised no-one. As played by Depp, Wonka is an eccentric but off-putting character, a Howard Hughes-like recluse who genuinely dislikes children. A bold choice, to be sure, but one that put off viewers and critics alike.
But what can we expect from Chalamet’s Wonka? That’s a difficult question, especially given the dearth of information available. But our money is on charm, whimsy, heart, and incredible cheekbones (seriously, look at that kid).
