Timothée Chalamet to star in WONKA movie musical

"Timothée Chalamet is ready to head to a world of pure imagination as the Oscar-nominated actor is set to star as the iconic inventor and chocolate maker in Warner Bros and the Roald Dahl Story Co.’s Wonka. Based on characters created by Roald Dahl, the story will focus on a young Willy Wonka and his adventures prior to opening the world’s most famous chocolate factory.

Sources also tell Deadline that Wonka will mark the first time Chalamet gets to show off his singing and dancing skills with several musical numbers set to appear in the film. He’s been the top choice for some time but scheduling was a hurdle that had to be overcome as training for those numbers is included in the prep for this film."

https://deadline.com/2021/05/timothee-chalamet-willy-wonka-warner-bros-1234762658/

Kind of a genius idea and casting. I'm surprised there hasn't been an origin story film so far. Lots to explore with him finding the Oompa Loompas. I hope they pay homage to the iconic styling from the 70s film.

Wow, what a bizarre project. I'm not saying they can't pull it off, but a few concerns immediately come to mind:

(1) The Burton movie is not well-liked, and one of the major changes they made was to give Wonka a backstory. I personally don't mind it, but I can see an argument that giving him a backstory ruins some of the mystery and charm surrounding his character. Burton aside, prequels in Hollywood are dangerous territory where quality is concerned: they invite all kinds of lazy attempts at fan service, trying to answer questions that nobody asked or cares about, making for incredibly grating experiences.

(2) I have become less and less enamored with Chalamet the more things I see him in. I don't think he has much range, and this will be the biggest stretch for him yet.

(3) Curious to see how they handle the Oompa Loompas, considering they have not aged well as a story device. It's easier to write it off when it's just a part of the whimsical nonsense world of Wonka's factory - but trying to actually incorporate it into a hard backstory? It may come off very badly. We'll see if they try to re-frame it through a modern lens to make it less problematic.

I'm genuinely curious which of Timothee Chalamet's past roles are making people feel like this is a good role for him? Again, I'll withhold judgement until we see him, but I'm not sure where this confidence is coming from, other than a broad, overall affection for him.

Jordan Levinson said: "Does anyone know if Chalamet really is a good singer/dancer? If so, this could be an interesting project for him."

He can sing and dance quite well. He did a few musicals when he attended LaGuardia High School (the “FAME” school), most notably playing Oscar in a production of SWEET CHARITY. Someone posted a link to this above.

Theatrefanboy1 said: "I’m curious to hear his singing voice"

Saturday Night Live had him sing in the sketch "Tiny Horse" in December:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z53ZoWGZtyw