“Wonka” is a new film by Paul King and tells the origin of Willy Wonka, a character in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the film.
- Wonka is a 2023 musical fantasy film
- It is directed by Paul King
- King co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby
- It is based on a story by King
- It tells the origin story of Willy Wonka
- A character in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
- Featuring his early days as a chocolatier
- This is the third film based on the Dahl book following Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
- It contains elements from the 1971 version such as musical songs and the Oompa Loompa designs
- The style and world building here implies an alternate reality
- The film stars Timothée Chalamet in the title role
- Along with teen actress Calah Lane
- And an ensemble cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant
- Development began after Warner Bros. Pictures (which previously released Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005) acquired the rights to the titular character in October 2016
- The studio revealed the film would serve as an origin story for the Willy Wonka character
- In May 2021, Chalamet was confirmed to be playing Wonka and the supporting cast were announced in September of that year
- Principal photography began in the United Kingdom in September 2021
- Filming took place in Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Watford
- As well as Oxford, Lyme Regis, Bath, St Albans and at the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park, London
- The original songs for the film were contributed by Neil Hannon
- While its original score was provided by Joby Talbot
- Wonka had its world premiere in London at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, on November 28, 2023
- It was released in the United Kingdom on December 8
- And later in the United States on December 15, by Warner Bros. Pictures
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for several awards
- Including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Chalamet
- On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 83% rating
- Based on 183 critics’ reviews
- With an average rating of 7.3/10
- The website’s consensus reads: “With director Paul King at the helm and some solid new songs at the ready, the warmly old-fashioned Wonka puts a suitably sweet spin on the classic character while still leaving some room for the source material’s darker undertones”
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100
- Based on 55 critics
- Indicating “generally favorable” reviews
- In the United States and Canada, Wonka is projected to gross around $40 million from 4,150 theaters in its opening weekend
- The film was released one week earlier in several overseas markets
- There it grossed $43.2 million from 37 countries
- The biggest totals were from the United Kingdom ($11.1 million), Mexico ($5.2 million), Spain ($4.4 million), Germany ($3.6 million), China ($3.3 million), Japan ($3.1 million), and Brazil ($2 million)
- In October 2016, Warner Bros. Pictures reacquired the rights to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) character Willy Wonka created by Roald Dahl, with a film in development from producers David Heyman and Michael Siegel
- In February 2018, it was announced Paul King was in negotiations to direct
- That same year, it was reported the studio’s shortlist of actors to star as Willy Wonka included Donald Glover, Ryan Gosling, and Ezra Miller
- It was revealed the film would serve as a prequel to the events of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- In January 2021, it was confirmed King would direct the film, now titled Wonka
- It was reported that Timothée Chalamet and Tom Holland were the frontrunners for the title role
- In May, Chalamet was cast, and it was announced the film would include several musical numbers
- He was the director’s only choice for the role, with King stating that he offered the actor the part with no audition after seeing his high school performances on YouTube, which proved his vocal and dancing skills
- Chalamet was paid $9 million for his involvement
- It was also revealed the film would be using a screenplay co-written by King’s Paddington 2 (2017) collaborator Simon Farnaby
- Jeff Nathanson, Simon Rich, and Simon Stephenson also provided additional literary material
- In September 2021, it was announced Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, and Jim Carter were among the newest additions to the cast
- With Farnaby also set for a role
- Principal photography began in the United Kingdom in September 2021
- With Seamus McGarvey set as cinematographer, Nathan Crowley as production designer, Mark Everson as film editor, and Lindy Hemming as costume designer
- Filming took place in historic Lyme Regis and Bath as well as at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Watford
- Filming also occurred at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, London
- By December, McGarvey exited as cinematographer with Chung Chung-hoon replacing him
- Scenes were shot in Oxford in December and February
- Neil Hannon, lead singer of the Divine Comedy, contributed original songs for the film
- The musical score was composed by Joby Talbot
- The soundtrack containing the original songs and score
- It was released by WaterTower Music on December 8, 2023
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