Warner Bros’ production Wonka premiered on December 15, 2023 in the United States. Falling into both fantasy and musical genres, Wonka follows the origin story of Willy Wonka before the establishment of his famous chocolate factory.
Presumed to be set in the early twentieth century, Willy Wonka is introduced as an inventor and chocolatier who has been traveling the world. With empty pockets, Wonka has a dream of opening his own chocolate store in Galeries Gourmet, home of three mischievous, conniving chocolatiers. When being put up in an inn, Wonka is tricked by the fine print, leaving him in debt to innkeeper Mrs. Scrubitt. Trapped in the laundry room of the inn, Wonka meets five other captives. Teaming up, Wonka and his new friends set out to free themselves from their debt by selling chocolate. Their mass production of chocolate and the success it entails leads Wonka to open up his chocolate shop. However, with so many enemies on his back, Wonka’s success is short-lived and things seem to become irreversibly doomed.
Wonka acts as a prequel to the narrative of the renowned Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). The movie has been anticipated by many young adults and older individuals alike due to the impressive cast and the nostalgia of Roald Dahl’s characters. Personally, I really enjoyed it overall. I went in with no expectations, as I had avoided any media coverage and reviews. I think the casting was well-done; each actor fit their individual counterpart exceptionally. The magic of the movie was executed perfectly and the essence of Roald Dahl’s nonsensical yet unique universe was captured. The movie did a great job combining glamorous Europe and the colorfulness of Wonka’s character.
The movie very much established itself as a musical film, contrasting with its predecessor Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which shares its fantasy genre but also fits as a comedic movie. During the L.A. premiere of the film, Timothee Chalamet, who played Wonka, shared with Vanity Fair, “This was the most physically challenging project I’ve ever done. I’ve been around musical theater my whole life, and danced a little bit in high school, but this was on a different level. It’s different doing it on film. You’ve got to keep being in the center of the frame while dancing, you’ve got to rehearse for months, you’ve got to be on for every take—take 12 and all the other takes—and dance with professional dancers, who are icing their ankles. That’s how serious they were taking it. So it was a big challenge.” Many were pleasantly surprised to see Chalamet’s performance on screen as many of his past works lacked this element, the most notable among them being Call Me by Your Name (2017), Little Women (2019), and Dune (2021).
Wonka’s box office has grossed around $500 million internationally so far and has held the title of highest grossing movie through the transition from 2023 to 2024.
