Timothee Chalamet Wonka Is In Serious Trouble
Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka hasn’t even hit theaters yet and the movie is already in serious trouble. According to World of Reel, the third remake of the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has been taste-tested by critics and they’re spitting it out. With a budget of $125 million, Wonka would need to make at least 75 percent of that in its opening weekend to have a chance of success at the box office, and right now the film is only projected to make $25 million.
The Rising Star’s Wonka Is Projected To Be A Flop
Timothee Chalamet is set to take up the mantle of the famous Wonka, after inheriting the batton from Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder. Unlike Depp and Wilder, who were already critically acclaimed actors with household names at the time they put on the Candy Man’s velvet coat, Chalamet is a relatively new actor in the Hollywood scene. Though his name is becoming known pretty quickly, Chalamet only recently broke out in 2017 when he appeared in Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name, both of which were critically acclaimed films.
Tim Burton’s Wonka Was A Box Office Hit
While many shared certain unfavorable opinions when it came to Depp’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory compared to Wilder’s original performance in 1971, the Depp and Tim Burton feature was a box office success, grossing $475 million off a $150 million budget. Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka can only hope to do so well. And if the critics have any type of future-telling abilities, it’s not likely.
Test Screenings Call The New Wonka A mess
Critics who attended the screening of Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka have shared a general opinion that the film is just plain bad. One critic described it as “tonally way off” and another labeled it a “mess.” The outcome was pretty much what anyone who has been following this movie was expecting.
Unlike the previous two films, Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka (directed by Paul King) is doing a new take when it comes to the classic candy factory story. Rather than plot the story around Charlie and his golden ticket, Chalamet’s Wonka is an origin story of how the man in the velvet coat came to monopolize the candy market.
In the film, Timothee Chalamet takes on the title role, Willy Wonka, and is joined by an ensemble cast featuring Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.
Warner Bros. Wonka Has Been In Development Since 2016
The development of the film began after Warner Bros. Pictures, which also spearheaded the Johnny Depp adaptation in 2005, acquired the rights to Wonka’s character in October 2016. Timothée Chalamet was confirmed to play Wonka in May 2021, and the supporting cast was announced in September of the same year. Principal photography commenced in the United Kingdom in September 2021, with filming locations including Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Watford, as well as Oxford, Lyme Regis, Bath, St Albans, and the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park, London.
The Music Is The Savior
Neil Hannon contributed original songs, while Joby Talbot provided the film’s original score. While Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka is in trouble when it comes to the film’s plot and acting, it seems critics are loving Hannon and Talbot’s music. The film was nominated for three Hollywood Music in Media Awards, though it did not win.
For those willing to take the risk and hope that the critics are wrong about Timothee Chalamet, Wonka will hit theaters on December 8.
