Willy Wonka, one of many creative offspring of Roald Dahl, gets his third live action adaption in this year’s Wonka which releases next week (which I was lucky enough to see ahead of time). Helmed by the lauded director of the Paddington Bear franchise, the hype, understandably, has been electric.
Timothee Chalamet has gained the reputation as being one of the most talented actors of his generation, a title once bestowed upon Johnny Depp during the genesis of his career, so what is it about the fictional character of Wonka that his triggered the interest from these highly introspective actors, along with the late, great Gene Wilder? There is an air of mysticism that surrounds this creation (much like The Joker), one that shares a striking similarity to early 20th century American tycoons, ala Randolph Hearst, John Paul Getty, JD Rockefeller or, the fictional leads in Citizen Kane, There Will Be Blood, and the best book ever written on Hollywood, What Makes Sammy Run? Men who came from nothing, who built some of the most impressive empires ever to exist, only to retire to a fortress of solitude, bitter and alone, shut off from the outside world.
There is clearly something about these men, fictional or not, that excites actors, simply because they’re given the ability to try and understand, and to physically transform into a living, breathing artifact historians continue to debate and discuss today. Simply put, these men are the blueprint of America.
With the release of Wonka, the first live action origin story, Timmy provides a window into the early, pre-jaded days of this infamous chocolate tycoon, one whose guileless enthusiasm sees no stifling despite a volley of corrupt chocolatiers determined to destroy him.
A few days ago, Esquire Middle East, among others, attended the Wonka press junket with Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, director Paul King, and writer Simon Farnaby, to discuss the production, the history of Wonka, and, naturally, favourite chocolates.
Paul King: Willy’s a great optimist. This film takes place 25 years before Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when Willy Wonka was first starting out, and being within the Roald Dahl universe, we know that’s a cruel world indeed, but despite it all, he fights on.
For Hugh, what was it like doing the motion capture when playing an oompa-loompa?
Hugh Grant: Miserable [laughs]. You wear a crown of thorns. You’re mic’d up. Sixteen different cameras. I couldn’t have hated the whole thing more.
But then you see the end result and you think ah, that’s great…right?
HG: Not really.
You had a legitimate chocolatier on set, how was that?
Keegan-Michael Key: The chocolates were all real, and truly bespoke. Absolutely beautiful. I had to stop myself from eating as much as my character in the film.
For Timmy, what was your favourite message from the movie? ‘Free as flamingos’ stands out.
Timothee Chalamet: I like that one, I also like, from the song, ‘if you want to change the world there’s nothing to it.’ I love how Willy won’t take no for an answer, refusing to give up.
What was the most challenging thing about taking on this story?
PK: It’s daunting to take on a storyteller as great as Roald Dahl, but the great part about delving into his universe is that we get to stand on his shoulders, and play with all the material that he’s given us.
Did you take anything home with you from set?
OC: I did take some of those curtains with me, I just couldn’t resist.
Calah Lane: I took the headband.
TC: I did take something from the costume, but I don’t think anybody really knows…(after much teetering) it could be the hat, but you’ll never know.
For Timmy, when taking on such an iconic character, do you feel a requirement to pay homage to previous adaptations or do you want to make it entirely your own?
TC: That’s a great question. I was hoping to make a companion piece to the first Gene Wilder film, and the idea of who he would have been as a young man. But when characters are so beloved, people are very protective of them, so, rightfully, people are immediately skeptical. But when the story and script are as clever as what Simon and Paul have constructed, the story feels warranted.
Although we didn’t get to ask what Timmy’s Wonka would become in the future, or if there will be a sequel, it will be interesting to see the direction should they choose to pursue it.
When John Paul Getty’s grandson – the bohemian, trust-fund baby, John Paul Getty III – was kidnapped by the mafia and held for ransom, he hardly batted an eye. Only after receiving his severed ear in the mail, did he concede to a small payment. A bitter, old man, allergic to childish joy, much like Gene Wilder’s Wonka. But perhaps JPG was, like Timmy’s Wonka, an optimistic young man who hadn’t yet been weathered by the unforgiving world of business.
You don’t become the greatest chocolatier (or oil tycoon) of all time without some controversy, and perhaps turning ungrateful children into blueberries is just one of the many broken eggs necessitated to perfect your omelet.
‘Wonka’ releases worldwide on December 14
