Did you ever wonder what Willy Wonka, revered children’s author Roald Dahl’s eccentric chocolatier, did before the events of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Us neither, but somebody thought it was a tale worth telling. And cinematic gold has been spun from thinner straw than this before. Plus this one comes to us from Paul King, and he did Paddington, which everybody loves.
How to watch Wonka in New Zealand
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Wonka is in New Zealand cinemas right now.
What is Wonka about?
Taking obvious cues from Gene Wilder’s iconic performance (and wisely ignoring Johnny Depp’s turn) Chalamet plays Wonka as a young man desperate to bring his candy innovations to a world desperate for sweet treats, only to run afoul of a cabal of established chocolate makers.
Or, as the official synopsis tells us, “Based on the extraordinary character at the centre of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big-screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.”
The cast of Wonka
In addition to ol’ Muad’dib in the lead role, expect Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, and none other than Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa
Wonka trailer
What are the critics saying about Wonka?
There’s a lot of love for this redux, with the consensus on Rotten Tomatoes stating, “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.”
