The social media embargo has lifted, but I wouldn’t put much stock into these “Wonka” reactions. I’ll tell you why at a later date …
Regardless, I’ve narrowed the reactions down to film writers I actually know, and not the usual quote whores that will tweet out just about anything positive for retweets and likes:
According to The Evening Standard, Paul King’s “Wonka” has a budget of around $125 million. That’s a lot for such a risk-taking project. It’s currently projected to open with around $35 million. It’s IP, so maybe folks will show up for this one.
Regardless, King’s prequel to the classic Roald Dahl story, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” and the 1971 Gene Wilder-led adaptation, stars Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, years before he founded his chocolate factory.
The marketing from Warner Bros. Pictures has been heavy, with multiple trailers, well over a dozen different poster designs. Yes, we’re still over three weeks away from the film’s release, so there’s still time for this one to pick up some additional buzz.
What you’ll get with “Wonka” is something safe and family-friendly. A whimsical tale about a young man who wants to open a chocolate shop. Chalamet’s performance is … I’ll tackle his work here at a later date.
No one can really compare to Gene Wilder and the manic energy he brought to the original ‘70s Wonka. Johnny Depp went gonzo with his performance as Wonka in Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Quite honestly, in the three movies that featured Wonka, he’s a different character in all of them.
“Wonka” is banking on holiday audiences to show up as it opens right before Christmas on December 15th, 2023. Will people actually buy tickets for this one?