The first reactions to Timothée Chalamet's Wonka have landed.
The upcoming musical prequel to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory casts the Dune star as a young version of Willy Wonka and follows him as he goes from selling candy in a small shop to creating his wondrous chocolate factory.
Directed by Paddington's Paul King, Wonka features an impressive cast, including Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa, Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, Downton Abbey's Jim Carter and comedians Tom Davis, Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas and Rowan Atkinson.
Early reactions have been very positive, with critics praising the film's colourful visuals and Chalamet's portrayal of Willy Wonka.
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Zoë Rose Bryant called Wonka an "instant holiday classic", adding: "a truly magical time at the movies 🥰 paul king's whimsical style works as well here as it did in paddington, every musical number enchants, & the entire ensemble takes turns stealing the show, led by an endlessly charming timothée chalamet."
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Bleeding Cool's Kaitlyn Booth was surprisingly pleased by the movie, writing: "#Wonka took me by surprise with how much I liked it. It's whimsical and taps into that sense of wonder we got from the original while doing its own thing. Timothée Chalamet channels the energy of Gene [Wilder] without doing an impression. Great family film for the holidays."
Variety's Jazz Tangcay found the film to be "visually delightful": "Shout out to [production designer] Nathan Crowley, his world building is fantastical in every way."
Others were particularly dazzled by the musical spectacle that director King created with the world of Wonka.
"WONKA was a visual wonder that left me smiling ear to ear. Playful & magical Hugh Grant's Oompa-Loompa was hilarious Timothée Chalamet didn't emulate Gene Wilder. He was just doing his own thing. He sang & danced like he was light as a feather," Rama's Screen wrote.
"#Wonka/ #WonkaMovie is a winning confection, filled with perfect amounts of charm, whimsy & poignancy, powered by pure imagination & bright, nimble musical numbers. Timothée Chalamet is a charisma factory. His full committal is intoxicating. Hugh Grant in exceptional IDGAF mode," Courtney Howard wrote.
Prior to the film's release, King confirmed Timothée Chalamet will sing the classic song 'Pure Imagination' and previewed his "beautiful singing voice".
"The person it reminded me of was Bing Crosby," he teased. "There's quite a range, because it does go from a couple of bigger, showstopper-y sort of things, to moments of real, pure emotion and he can do it all… I'm going to sound like a crazed fan."
Wonka will be released in cinemas on December 15.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
