Timothée Chalamet’s Versatility will dazzle in “Wonka”
American actor Timothée Chalamet will play the magical character created by writer Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka, in a prequel that will be filled with music and dance.
The actor has begun to prepare to take on a new challenge where he must show how versatile he can be on the big screen, and he will do that with another adaptation of a classic: “Wonka.” Photo: IG-tchalamet
LatinAmerican Post | Theoscar Mogollón González
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Leer en español: La versatilidad de Timothée Chalamet subirá un nuevo nivel en “Wonka”
2021 has become one of the busiest years for Timothée Chalamet in his young acting career, as he will be participating in 3 films that will hit theaters around the world. Now, after having starred in the latest adaptation of "Dune", the actor has begun to prepare to take on a new challenge where he must demonstrate how versatile he can be on the big screen, and he will do so with another adaptation of a classic: "Wonka".
As many know, Willy Wonka is one of the most acclaimed characters of the writer Roald Dahl, creator of novels known as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Matilda", "The Gremlins", among others. For this occasion, Chalamet will embody a more youthful version of Wonka that will take us through his first adventures as the eccentric chocolatier. What secrets will we know from its beginnings? Will we see their first encounter with the iconic Oompa-Loompas?
The feature film will be directed by Paul King and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and would be released on March 17, 2023. Along with Chalamet we will se in the cast stars like Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, among others. And is that unlike the films starring Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp, in "Wonka" we will enjoy a fantasy story seasoned with musical touches.
The fantastic world of Roald Dahl in the cinema
The impact that the works of Roald Dahl had were quite significant for many generations. However, these quirky and unique stories diverged a bit from children's books once they hit the big screen, showing us strange and sometimes terrifying worlds, but always full of humor and unforgettable characters. For this occasion we have compiled 6 film adaptations of his works which you must see at this time of Halloween.
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971)
Director Mel Stuart was the first to bring Charlie's story to the big screen and the opportunity he and other children had to explore Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory. This film is presented as a fairy tale, colorful, fun, and that also manages to entertain from beginning to end with some surreal moments. Gene Wilder's performance as Wonka was so compelling that he is still fondly remembered today.
"Gremlins" (1984)
The first book that Roald Dahl wrote for children was "The Gremlins" and it was published in 1943. Although it had some difficulty making it into a feature film, it wasn't until 1984 that director Joe Dante relied on these characters to bring a horror-comedy film to life. The story introduces us to this friendly-looking and highly intelligent creature, but which in turn comes with certain precautions. After an accident, it begins to release hairballs from which more similar but aggressive creatures are born, thus causing chaos in the town.
"The Witches" (1990)
Billed as a movie for the whole family, the incredible effects that brought the witches to life were so real that they even scared the little ones. Still, the mix between fun and terror managed to lead the plot where a child meets a gathering of witches who are hiding from others. When the evil leader turns him into a mouse, the young man tries to prevent the creatures from getting rid of all the children in the world.
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"James and the Giant Peach" (1996)
The film presents us with the story of a boy who loses his parents and is forced to live with his cruel aunts. Precisely, a giant peach begins to grow near the house and the protagonist enters that world where he meets the insects that live there. While the plot presents us with something fantastic and full of energy, what director Henry Selick did visually with the animation ended up causing nightmares for more than one.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005)
In this new version of the book, the characteristic touch of Tim Burton added to the phenomenal performance of Jhonny Depp made this film more creepy than fun. In addition to following the life of Charlie, a humble boy who, due to fate, wins one of the five golden tickets to visit the facilities of the chocolate factory, the plot also delves into the history of the world of Willy Wonka.
"The Witches" (2020)
Exactly 30 years have passed since Nicolas Roeg's film had a remake by director Robert Zemeckis. Under the same argument of the boy who discovers the witches and then tries to avoid a catastrophe by being transformed into a mouse, this adaptation received both positive and negative criticism, being even considered lower than the 1990's version. Also, among the highest peaks it was Anne Hathaway's performance as the Grand Witch, who was able to cast a spell on more than one with her on-screen charisma.
