In 1971, Paramount Studios brought the Roald Dahl novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to life with its release of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The movie starred Gene Wilder as the famed candy maker and Peter Ostrum as Charlie. While the movie was not a hit right off the bat, it has since become a cult classic. The draw of Dahl’s novel didn’t fade and, in 2005, Warner Bros. teamed up with iconic filmmaker Tim Burton and released Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The new film starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and focused more on Wonka’s backstory than the original film.
The story of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory may be an old one, but it’s still one that draws people to it. In 2016, Warner Bros. once again got the rights to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and began working on a whole new story. In May 2021, it was announced that Timothée Chalamet would be playing Willy Wonka, and that the story would be all about Wonka’s beginnings. The supporting cast was announced in September 2021 and the movie was scheduled to be released in 2023.
After months and months of waiting, a teaser trailer for Wonka was released at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April 2022. Chalemet also revealed that there would be seven “joyous” musical numbers in the new movie.
Well, it’s been more than a year, since the teaser was first released, and now we finally have a complete trailer! Check it out below!
As you can see in the trailer, Wonka is an entirely new take on the classic Dahl story. Both Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were more than a little dark. Wonka, however, takes a much more lighthearted turn. Chalamet was correct when he said that there were “joyous” musical numbers. There are also touching friendships, heartache, determination, a “chocolate cartel”, and, of course, an Oompa Loompa.
Chalamet will give viewers a new way to look at Willy Wonka, one which costar Keegan Michael Key only had praise for while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter:
“There’s this hopeful quality that he gives the character, a kind of indomitable quality that he’ll never quit, he’s always up for the next thing,” the Schmigadoon! actor said. “He’s like, ‘OK, that didn’t work out? We’ll do this, and we’ll try something else. And Timothée Chalamet, what can I say? Sacrébleu! This kid, you know, he drips charisma and a wonderful confidence. He’s just a really delicious artist.”
In addition to Chalamet and Key — who will play a constable — Wonka also stars Olivia Coleman, Rowan Atkinson, and Sally Hawkins. As you may have noticed in the trailer, the Oompa Loompa will be played by legendary British actor, Hugh Grant.
Wonka premieres in theaters on December 15.
