Photo:Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka
to the eccentric character, perfectly embodying Wonka’s unrelenting optimism as he arrives in a strange new city to chase his chocolatier dreams. “I think Timothee’s an extraordinary actor,” says King, 45, who co-wrote the film with Horrible Histories’ Simon Farnaby. “I first saw him in Call Me ByYour Name and I was just blown away by how brilliantly he managed to dig deep into the well of human emotion. And then I saw him in Lady Bird later that year, and he was equally brilliant, completely different, completely mesmerising and hilarious, and I realised how special he was.’ “He felt like such a great choice for (Wonka) because he’s magnetic, and completely charming and captivating, and has a sort of strange, otherworldly quality that you want your Willy Wonka to have.” When we meet the young Willy Wonka in the film, he has set off to a new city to chase his dreams of opening his own chocolate shop. “This is really the companion piece to the Gene Wilder film, the idea of who he would have been as a young Willy Wonka,” Chalamet explains. “When characters are so beloved,people are very protective of them – people are immediately sceptical, rightfully – but when the story and the script is as clever as what Simon and Paul came up with, then the story feels warranted.” Young Willy is brimming with ideas and youthful optimism, but sadly, this makes him a target for nasty people doing nasty business. Soon after his arrival, he falls foul of Mrs Scrubbit and Bleacher – played by Olivia Colman and Tom
Olivia Colman: Having Timothee Chalamet play Wonka was ‘a stroke of genius’ By Rachael Davis, PA Entertainment Features Writer “Come with me,and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination,” invites Willy Wonka in the beloved 1971 film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, and Gene Wilder’s portrayal of the titular chocolatier captured the hearts of generations of children. The story of Roald Dahl’s character and his wondrous chocolates has become a mainstay for many families who’ve fallen in love with his zany eccentricity and imaginative, magical treats. But now,Wonka,from Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King and starring Timothee Chalamet in the title role, is taking a look at the younger Willy Wonka, telling the story of how a young man with nothing but a dream built an extraordinary chocolate factory. “I was enamoured by Paul’s work prior, both Paddington films, and I was daunted by the idea of playing Willy Wonka, because it’s a beloved character,” says Chalamet, 27, who dons the top hat and tailcoat of Wonka for the film. “But within five pages of reading the script, I saw how clever Paul’s take was on the story of how Willy became the Wonka we know.”
Chalamet, known for films like Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird,Dune and LittleWomen,brings his characteristic charm
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