Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka could be stepping further from the target release date yet again as the production is said to be doing reshoots. Warner Bros. Pictures’ current release date of December 15th this year might well be moved yet again. It was previously slated for March 17th.
Many factors could be attributed to the shaky development of the production. From creative differences to company mergers to pandemic restrictions. Possibly anyone or all and might be even more.
Right now, people are becoming more and more sceptical about whether the movie will get its release at all. Officially described as a prequel to the character Gene Wilder portrayed in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Chalamet takes on the character of the eccentric chocolatier. The movie takes the audience to the time Willie Wonka is about to build and open his chocolate factory.
Could Timothée Chalamet’s Wonka Get Delayed Again?
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Timothée Chalamet has begun filming reshoots for ‘WONKA’. pic.twitter.com/yMD5YhmtVE
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 25, 2023
In a tweet from DiscussingFilm (via Giant Freakin Robot), the message comes with an image of Chalamet as the character together with a behind-the-scene shot of his character’s chair. It reads:
Timothée Chalamet has begun filming reshoots for ‘WONKA’.
Reshoots can mean additional scenes to improve a story that they are doing. It could also mean a change is a previously shot scene due to story development as well.
Generally, when reshoots are made, we all think that something is wrong or needs more detail for any project in production. Why else would one do reshoots, right?
The supposed Willie Wonka prequel will also be a musical with a noted number of production numbers. IMDb still lists the expected release date to be December 15th this year. In addition to the initial stages of building his chocolate factory, the movie will also focus on how Wonka got to know the Oompa-Loompas.
This somehow makes me think of Gru and his Minions.
From the time that the production announced Chalamet as the titular role, the reception of the project in development has been mixed. And the split in potential viewer impression got even wider when they released a photo of Chalamet as Wonka.
Definitely, the audience has Gene Wilder’s 1971 performance in mind as the act to live up to. There are also noted impressions and comparisons to Johnny Depp’s delivery of the role in 2005. However, being a prequel, Chalamet’s upcoming movie is an origin story of the character.
Timothée Chalamet Reshoots As Willy Wonka
Credit: A24
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Whether these reshoots will delay the release or not, there is no doubt that people are waiting to see how Chalamet delivers the character to the big screen. Many are asking why Warner Bros are doing it in the first place. But people are still waiting to see what the movie will probably tell differently.
While the 1971 movie was considered a disappointment as the author Roald Dahl himself disowned the feature due to its focus being Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory instead of Charlie, the movie still grew its following. Then the 2005 remake doing right by the title still focused more on Wonka. However, the story also placed Charlie’s part as a focal point in the movie.
The 2005 movie performed well at the box office, ranking 8th in The Top Ten Worldwide Box Office the year it was released. Could Chalamet’s Wonka be the ticket to a resurgence of interest in the franchise? Honestly, I have not encountered anyone who is really into the movie.
But then, it could very well be the problem. The difference in vision adapted to the movie could have alienated those who loved the source literature.
We sincerely hope the new movie gets what Roald Dahl wanted his audience to know. What are your thoughts on the developing prequel starring Timothée Chalamet as Wonka? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Reshoots are normal and pre-planned most of the time especially for big productions. That’s why they pushed back the release date to Dec. 15 (also, the the best time for this kind of movie and for a possible Oscar push) to allow time for the reshoots. The movie had test screenings and they went very well: https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2022/10/dmjr48cqskxa9sn113vbtwe6dyngth
Test screenings for Wonka have been positive so far. Non of these doom and gloom articles seem to be mentioning the director is Paul King (Paddington) and King and Simon Farnaby have written the script. Production design is by Nathan Crowley (Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet) so I’m exited to see what sets he’s created for this.