Timothée Chalamet Is Going To Be Singing A Lot In Wonka
Timothée Chalamet is one of Hollywood's fastest rising stars, with his performances in films like "Dune," "Call Me By Your Name," and "Little Women." He's becoming one of the biggest stars of the new generation at only 26 years old. A performer who manages to earn the respect of both fans of serious, refined acting and those who worship him online at boy band levels of obsessiveness, Chalamet seems set up to be a household name for the rest of his career, or even life.
Part of being a huge star is being entrusted with bigger, more storied roles. Chalamet has already had experience with this, portraying Paul Atreides in "Dune" in a role that was sure to be scrutinized by fans of the series of books. But now, with the upcoming 2023 film "Wonka" around the corner, Chalamet will have to play the part of the legendary chocolatier that Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp have portrayed in the past, with Gene Wilder's version being particularly memorable and irreplaceable – not to mention having a lovely, lovely voice.
With the reveal that "Wonka" will also be a musical, Chalamet now finds himself with both a unique challenge and a golden opportunity to make his interpretation of Willy Wonka one worth remembering.
A sweet escape
Rumors about the prequel to "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" have been swirling since 2021. The first bit of welcome news we received was that Willy Wonka was not receiving the all too common "dark and gritty reboot" treatment. This was affirmed by Chalamet himself in a TIME Magazine interview, where he explained the movie had a lighter tone. "It's not mining the darker emotions in life," said Chalamet. "It's a celebration of being off-center and of being okay with the weirder parts of you that don't quite fit in."
I was glad to hear the movie wouldn't be going the "The Dark Knight" route, because I don't think I'm ready to see Willy Wonka kill his own father or something. Instead, Timothée Chalamet (aka Lil' Timmy Tim) will be showing off his musical skills. In an interview for the October edition of British Vogue, Chalamet was asked how many musical numbers he'd be doing, and excitedly responded, "Seven!"
The actor seems thrilled about an opportunity to act in such a whimsical movie. "The movie is so sincere, it's so joyous," said Chalamet, who certainly has been in his share of non-joyous films. "I hate to say it, but the dream as an artist is to throw whatever the f*** you want at the wall, you know? And I guess what I'm realising is that one's personal life, one's adult life, can be quite boring and the artist's life can still be extraordinary."
A delicious recipe
One can only hope that "Wonka" lives up to the hype. Set to debut in theaters next spring, the film faces an uphill battle if it wishes to live up to the nostalgia of both the Gene Wilder film (not so much the Johnny Depp remake) and the original Roald Dahl book series. While music has always been an element of Willy Wonka movies, the fact that this version plans to lean so heavily on the musical aspect is an intriguing risk.
In addition to Chalamet, stars like Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, and Rowan Atkinson make up the cast of "Wonka," with a depth of talent that just adds to the film's potential. With director Paul King experienced in creating lovely and joyful films like "Paddington" and "Paddington 2," this prequel may be just as sweet as the confections its title character creates.
"Wonka" arrives in theaters on March 17, 2023