I am not quite sure how a man starts off looking and acting like Timothée Chalamet and then gradually over the course of a decade or two turns into Gene Wilder, but that is apparently what we will learn in Wonka, the new prequel film that presents the early days of that famous chocolatier slash mad torturer of children.
I’m a huge fan of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and I recently had a blast reading the Roald Dahl novel it’s based on with my kids. To me, though, the appeal of Wonka is less the source material than the fact that this is the new film from Paul King, the man who gave us Paddington and Paddington 2. If anyone can make me actually care about the tragic story of a young Willy Wonka, it’s that guy.
You can see the new trailer for the movie, complete with Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa (and even singing the classic Oompa-Loompa song from the original Willy Wonka film) below:
READ MORE: The Scariest Kids Movies Ever
Here is the film’s official synopsis:
Based on the extraordinary character at the center 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.
Wonka is currently scheduled to open in theaters on December 15.
Huge Hits That Initially Flopped in Theaters
These movies prove that sometimes word-of-mouth hype or a couple decades of reclamation can turn a flop into a runaway hit.