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Credit: Warner Bros.It is tough for any actor to re-tell or re-share a story that has been done in the past, especially if a previous version has become beloved by fans.
Take Disney, for example, Disney has been on an escapade of creating live-action films as of late. We have seen Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Aladdin, and more come to life, mimicking their animated version in a new way. While this is the same story, it is with all new actors who must somehow match the nostalgia that fans felt for the originating actors, and doing anything different can quickly cause a rift.
We saw this with The Little Mermaid. Many were excited to know that songs like “Under the Sea” and “Part of your World” would get a second life, but they changed their tune when they found out who would be playing Ariel. Disney cast the fantastic Halle Bailey as Ariel, and while she can sing her fins off, she is Black, which was a large visual change from the animated Caucasian character. This was the first live-action that had a lead cast that looked nothing like the animated version, which was a shock to some.
The movie recieved a lot of backlash due to this, and now, we are seeing the same thing play out with the not-yet-released Snow White film. Not only is the lead, Rachel Zegler, hispanic, but the film will also be changing the storyline, removing Prince Charming and replacing him with a character named Jonathan, as well as eliminating the seven dwarfs and calling them magical creatures.
As you may predict, these changes are disrupting the nostalgia of the film for fans, making some upset. This is incredibly tough for actors who have been cast as well, as they know they have unsurpassable expectations to live up to.
Now, Timothée Chalamet is undergoing this same plague, and he is officially attempting to escape it.
The original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory film was released in 1971 and directed by Mel Stuart. It is a musical fantasy film based on Roald Dahl’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Gene Wilder starred as Willy Wonka, bringing a whimsical and eccentric charm to the character. The story revolves around a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who wins a golden ticket to visit Willy Wonka’s magical chocolate factory. The film is celebrated for its imaginative set design, catchy songs, and Gene Wilder’s iconic performance.
On the other hand, the Johnny Depp version is titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and was released in 2005. Directed by Tim Burton, this adaptation stays closer to Roald Dahl’s original book. Johnny Depp portrays Willy Wonka with a quirky and eccentric demeanor, although his portrayal differs significantly from Gene Wilder’s. The film explores Wonka’s backstory and delves into the reasons behind his reclusive nature. Freddie Highmore plays Charlie Bucket, and the movie features Burton’s signature visual style and dark humor. It was also a box office success, grossing $475 million and becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film worldwide in 2005.
Both films have their unique merits, and opinions on which is the better adaptation often depend on personal preferences for the actors’ portrayals and the overall tone of the film. While the 1971 version is considered a classic, the 2005 version offers a darker and more fantastical take on Dahl’s story.
Having to follow Johnny Depp in any role would be incredibly intimidating to any actor. As we know, Depp is no longer carrying the Pirates of the Caribbean torch for Jack Sparrow, and since then, Disney fans have been vocal that they will accept no one as a replacement. Although the actor has undergone some challenging times as of late following the public court case with his now ex-wife Amber Heard, he is still a Hollywood icon with an incredible following.
Chalamet’s breakthrough occurred in 2017 with his role in Call Me by Your Name, an adaptation of André Aciman’s 2007 novel. Portraying Elio, a sophisticated teenager living in 1980s Italy who develops romantic feelings for his father’s summer intern, Oliver, Chalamet received widespread acclaim for his performance.
Notably, he became the youngest actor in 80 years to secure an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Following this success, he took on roles in various films released in 2017, including Lady Bird, Hostiles, and Hot Summer Nights.
Continuing his trajectory, Chalamet starred alongside Steve Carell in Beautiful Boy, a drama centered on a father-son duo grappling with the challenges of drug addiction. In 2019, he played the lead role in Netflix’s The King, an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Henriad cycle. That same year, he collaborated with director Greta Gerwig once again, portraying Laurie in her adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
Chalamet’s diverse roles further expanded with his casting as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s rendition of Dune, the iconic 1965 science-fiction epic by Frank Herbert.
While Chalamet may be younger, he is quickly climbing the Hollywood ladder to stardom, and now, Wonka, directed by Paul King is set to be his next big hit.
When trying to seperate himself from Depp, Chalamet told Entertainment Tonight, “”I grew up on that Gene Wilder film, and I’m hugely admiring of the Tim Burton/Johnny version. And this [version] is different. This is the origin [of] Wonka. It’s not Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. People are suspicious of any new retelling of beloved characters. But I think Paul King, our director, pulled this one off. I’ll let people judge for themselves.”
So, it seems that Chalamet is depending on the storyline differentiation to tell him apart from the previous actors who have played Wonka.
Wonka will debut in theaters as of December 15, 2024.
Are you looking forward to seeing Timothée Chalamet in Wonka?