2023 Box Office Success Getting A Sequel No One Asked For?
Even though the Dune star is having quite a moment, most audiences seemed confused about Timoée Chalamet getting cast as Willy Wonka in a film that offered what nobody was asking for: Wonka, an origin story for the iconic character originally played onscreen so memorably by Gene Wilder. Now, presumably because one of you sweet-toothed fiends angered an Oompa Loompa, the film that nobody asked for may be getting an equally unwanted sequel. After the unexpected financial success of the Wonka film, director Paul King is already working on ideas for the sequel.
The Internet Didn’t Love Wonka, But Audiences Did
Let’s address the chocolate elephant in the room: why, exactly, is Wonka possibly getting a sequel despite all the buzz around the first film being as bad as, well, the one with Johnny Depp? Despite the fact that the internet had a field day mocking this bizarre prequel, the surprising truth is that Wonka did surprisingly well at the box office. Worldwide, the film has never left the top 10 box office charts, and it has currently brought in over $608 in global box office revenue and is still playing in theaters.
Warner Bros. Needs More Wins
We all know that Hollywood is desperate for successful and recognizable brands, and Wonka‘s studio Warner Bros. particularly needs new franchises after both the Fantastic Beast films and DCEU films ultimately crashed and burned. Both Wonka and Chalamet are now proven box office draws, making a sequel seem downright inevitable.
The Evolution Of Wonka
That’s fine and all, but what would a Wonka sequel actually focus on? Director Paul King has frequently stated that while his movie isn’t a direct prequel to the original Gene Wilder film, it is meant to serve as a “companion piece.” In other words, he hopes this newer film helps informally contextualize the earlier movie, meaning there is always a chance that a Wonka sequel helps bridge the gap between the films and explain more about how the titular character came to be more like Gene Wilder than Timothée Chalamet.
The Darkness Of Wonka
Another Wonka fact that King dropped on us is that the chocolatier has not yet experienced some of the darker events that would shape the character we saw in the 1971 film, meaning that a sequel could explore some of those events. The director also pointed out that Roald Dahl created a series of books featuring his most famous character, meaning we could see some literary-inspired trips to exotic locations such as Loompaland. Some doubt he’ll stick to the books too closely because they eventually take Wonka to space, but we think if it’s good enough for horror icons like Jason Voorhees and the Leprechaun, it’s good enough for Chalamet.
We’ll Have To Wait And See
At this juncture, the odds of knowing exactly what the inevitable Wonka sequel will be about is about as low as scoring a golden ticket to Gene Wilder’s factory in the 1971 film. However, as this new film continues to rake in box office dollars, we’re confident plans for such a sequel will begin to formally take shape. Fans wanting answers now simply need to be patient: as Gene Wilder himself tells us in the original cinematic classic, the best kind of a prize is a surprise.
Source: Slashfilm
