While many rolled their eyes at the thought of a Willy Wonka origin story, the talent of those involved started to win people over. Writer/director Paul King achieved perfection with his Paddington movies and Timothée Chalamet is in the midst of an all-star rise to the top; thankfully, those ingredients seem to have mixed into a lovely family movie just in time for the holidays. Wonka had its world premiere in London today, and the first reactions have begun to emerge.
We’ve assembled a handful of Wonka first reactions below and will update with more as they come in.
#Wonka/ #WonkaMovie is a winning confection, filled with perfect amounts of charm, whimsy & poignancy, powered by pure imagination & bright, nimble musical numbers. Timothée Chalamet is a charisma factory. His full committal is intoxicating. Hugh Grant in exceptional IDGAF mode. pic.twitter.com/vjKJqqY6ll
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) November 28, 2023
#Wonka is a super charming delight powered by an exceptional & pitch-perfect performance from Timothée Chalamet. It can get quite silly and there’s a few plot points that are a tad on the thin side, but that couldn’t stop such an impossibly sweet film with a hefty & very… pic.twitter.com/1SLMmRPSGY
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) November 28, 2023
Timothée Chalamet is reason alone to see #WonkaMovie. He’s infinitely charming & a blast to watch.
The movie around him isn’t as good but it’s enjoyable. The story & tone fight against each other leaving it a bit muddled. And yet it’s filled with joy & the songs are delightful. pic.twitter.com/s1zlqtzIgv
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) November 28, 2023
#Wonka is a delicious confection, at times salty, at times sweet, but always visually dazzling and emotionally rich. Paul King once again proves that he is one of our most exciting filmmakers, creating a world unafraid to go to the dark, strange places that Roald Dahl would. pic.twitter.com/KaCRXiGTj4
— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) November 28, 2023
#Wonka is the family event of the Holiday season. A charming, delightful, whimsical tale of dreamers & the system that restricts them. King WONDERFULLY channels Dahl’s cheeky disdain for the elite that enhances the enigma of Wonka while standing confidently on its own. A winner! pic.twitter.com/EeQ1XMIOAq
— Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) November 28, 2023
#Wonka was fine. Solid choreography and production design, Timothee did a fine job. Wish it teased how this Wonka will turn into the nigh-unhinged, scary Wonka of the original.
Fat jokes were inexcusable. Hoped to go one awards season without a fat suit, but I guess not. pic.twitter.com/kqg6h5PMhn
— Jeff Ewing (@ReelJeffEwing) November 28, 2023
While Paul King’s #Wonka doesn’t quite reach the charming and beguiling heights of the Paddington movies, it is still a delightfully sweet treat. Timothée Chalamet’s titular dandy is endearing and fun while Hugh Grant’s Oompa-Loompa steals every scene he is in. #WonkaMovie pic.twitter.com/SRMSFcJ0Gy
— Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) November 28, 2023
#Wonka took me by surprise with how much I liked it. It’s whimsical and taps into that sense of wonder we got from the original while doing its own thing. Timothée Chalamet channels the energy of Gene without doing an impression. Great family film for the holidays. #WonkaMovie pic.twitter.com/qJKHYwnPMH
— Kaitlyn Booth (@katiesmovies) November 28, 2023
#wonka is an instant holiday classic & a truly magical time at the movies paul king’s whimsical style works as well here as it did in paddington, every musical number enchants, & the entire ensemble takes turns stealing the show, led by an endlessly charming timothée chalamet. pic.twitter.com/O887KYp4CY
— Zoë Rose Bryant (@ZoeRoseBryant) November 28, 2023
#WonkaMovie is unabashedly silly, and a perfectly charming family film. Wonka’s world is brilliantly designed, capturing the wonder of his early years.
Embracing a quirky, heartwarming tone, Wonka is funny and sweet enough to overcome any minor bumps in the road. pic.twitter.com/WPCxA2r1A9
— Daniel Howat (@howatdk) November 28, 2023
#Wonka cements Timothee Chalamet as one of the greatest up and coming actors. He’s magnetic, delightful & beautifully walks the line between naivete & cleverness. The film is filled with charm, joy & hope. It’s a perfect holiday film. It definitely has the rewatchability factor pic.twitter.com/lldKjVOphm
— Rosa Parra (@rosasreviews) November 28, 2023
With just a few more weeks until the release of Wonka, the latest tracking is predicting a $35-$40 million opening, which is a big increase from estimates at the beginning of the month. Even still, those numbers could easily go up, especially if positive word of mouth spreads.
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Should Wonka prove to be successful, Paul King isn’t about to rule out a sequel. “There’s a few irons in fires,” King told Deadline. “I think the character could absolutely take exploration, but let’s see how tonight goes — and then we’ll make 17 sequels.“
Wonka stars Timothée Chalamet in the title role and will tell “the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.” In addition to Chalamet, Wonka also stars Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, and more. Wonka will hit theaters on December 15th.
The post Wonka first reactions praise wacky & whimsical origin story appeared first on JoBlo.
