Wonka: Everything we know so far – Release date, cast, plot & more

Wonka, the highly anticipated origin story starring Timothée Chalamet, is now on its way, so here’s everything we know so far, including release date, cast, plot, and more.

While an origin story for the mysterious chocolate maker seems like an odd idea for a movie, if there was anything that Roald Dahl’s original book told us, it’s that there is no limit to what you can create or sell.

Hence why Wonka, an origin story about Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory, is now in the works, with popular actor Timothée Chalamet set to star.

But what else is happening with the movie? Well, look no further, as below we’ve written everything we know about the upcoming film so far.

Wonka release date: When is the movie coming out?

Wonka is expected to premiere in cinemas on December 15, 2023. This date may not be set in stone however, as the movie has already experienced delays, having meant to come out in March of this year.

Wonka has been in the works with Warner Bros. ever since late 2016, when the studio got the rights to the character. Right now, the film is in its post-production phase, with reshoots having happened in February.

Wonka cast: Who is starring in the movie?

While not much information is available on the characters, the cast is pretty star-studded. The cast list of named characters includes:

• Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka
• Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa
• Freya Parker as Miss Bon Bon
• Mathew Baynton as Fickelgruber
• Rowan Atkinson as a Priest
• Sally Hawkins as Wonka’s mother
• Matt Lucas as Prodnose
• Paterson Joseph as Arthur Slugworth
• Keegan-Michael Key as Actor
• Olivia Colman as Actress
• Calah Lane as Noodle
• Murray McArthur as Ship’s Captain

As for currently undisclosed roles, the list includes, but is not limited to:

• Rakhee Thakrar
• Jim Carter
• Tom Davis
• Simon Farnaby
• Natasha Rothwell

Simon Farnaby is also co-writing Wonka, and Paul King – of Paddington fame – is directing.

For many, Chalamet is the main draw of the film. So far, there have been two screen iterations of Willy Wonka, starring Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp in the role, each portraying a different take on the character. While both are different, both are also iconic, meaning that Chalamet has some big shoes to fill.

Discussing the role to Vogue, Chalamet had this to say: “To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy. That’s why I was drawn to it.

“In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there’s so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate.”

Director Paul King has since revealed to that viral videos of Timothée Chalamet’s high school “Lil Timmy Tim” performance actually helped him get cast in the role. In the videos, Chalamet raps a song called ‘Jump’ at LaGuardia high school back in 2012.

As for the other roles, in an interview with Total Film magazine, King discussed why he picked Hugh Grant for the role of an Oompa Loompa: “I was enchanted by the idea of these impossibly tiny beings, far smaller even than the child-sized me. The voice and the attitude of the Oompa Loompa came from revisiting the books – long songs full of humour, sarcasm, superiority and scorn. So it was really just thinking about that character – someone who can be a real shit. And I went, ‘Ah, Hugh!’

“Because he’s the funniest, most sarcastic shit that I’ve ever met! We’d been there before with ‘Paddington 2.’ I had to write him this awkward letter, saying, ‘You’re good at playing washed-up, old hams.'”

Wonka trailer: Is there a trailer?

Yes, the first trailer dropped on July 11, depicting all the magic and chocolate you could hope for. Check it out below:

A second trailer, released on October 12, shows off more of the film’s plot and characters, as well as the whimsy of Willy Wonka’s inventions and magic.

A promotional clip that finally showed us some of Wonka’s singing chops came out on November 13, which, you guessed it, you can also check out below:

Wonka plot: What is happening in the movie?

Wonka’s official synopsis is as such: “An origin story that explores the vivid, mythical beginnings of the imaginative young inventor before he becomes the renowned scrumdiddlyumptious Mozart of chocolate.”

As depicted by the trailer, Wonka will go up against the “Chocolate Cartel” and take the world by chaotic storm with his imaginative candy ideas. The film will also touch upon his relationship with his mother, and his friendship with a young orphan.

The movie will be an origin story of Roald Dahl’s beloved 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and like previous screen adaptations, it will be a musical. As described by Deadline: “Wonka will mark the first time Chalamet gets to show off his singing and dancing skills with several musical numbers set to appear in the film. He’s been the top choice for some time but scheduling was a hurdle that had to be overcome as training for those numbers is included in the prep for this film.”

Although, director Paul King has stated in an interview with Total Film that he sees it more as a movie with music, rather than a musical: “The Oompa Loompas sing a lot in the book, and Dahl always uses poetry,” King explained. “But I didn’t want it to just become a musical where people are singing dialogue to each other for no discernible reason. I felt like it was more like a movie with songs than a musical.”

The cast has also discounted that the story will be dark or morbid. During an interview for Time in 2021, Chalamet described Wonka as such: “It’s not mining the darker emotions in life. It’s a celebration of being off-center and of being OK with the weirder parts of you that don’t quite fit in.”

We will update this article as we learn more.

That’s everything we know about Wonka! In the meantime, you can check out our other TV and movie hubs below:

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