Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament is back. While studios during Covid wildly embraced the theatrical day-and-date model when cinemas were closed, they soon realized there’s nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstreams that come with it. If anything, theatrical is the advertisement for a movie’s longevity in subsequent home entertainment windows. Entering the conversation in 2023 were the streamers, such as Apple, who have also realized the necessity of theatrical to eventize their movies. The financial data pulled together here for Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament is culled by seasoned and trusted sources.
The Film
Wonka
Warner Bros
As moviegoers returned post-Covid, movie musicals were thought dead after the dismal performances of feature takes of Broadway musicals West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen and In the Heights. Then along comes Wonka, an original feature musical with songs from Divine Comedy lead singer Neil Hannon,...
The Film
Wonka
Warner Bros
As moviegoers returned post-Covid, movie musicals were thought dead after the dismal performances of feature takes of Broadway musicals West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen and In the Heights. Then along comes Wonka, an original feature musical with songs from Divine Comedy lead singer Neil Hannon,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
NASCAR has hired John Dahl as its new SVP Content, bolstering the sanctioning body’s efforts to further connect with current and new fans across the globe over a range of content platforms.
Dahl joins NASCAR after a career at ESPN, where he ascended from a coordinating producer to become VP and EP for Special Projects, Films and Original Content.
Starting his new role on May 1, Dahl will drive the creative vision and oversee the teams responsible for all content generated by NASCAR Studios and NASCAR Digital Media across multiple business areas. Those include production, programming, and operations.
His scope will cover the full spectrum of long and short-form storytelling around all aspects of motorsport, ranging from features, documentaries, and branded content to social media, NASCAR.com, and in-app executions for NASCAR’s primary and ancillary platforms.
Dahl will report directly to Tim Clark, NASCAR SVP and Chief Digital Officer,...
Dahl joins NASCAR after a career at ESPN, where he ascended from a coordinating producer to become VP and EP for Special Projects, Films and Original Content.
Starting his new role on May 1, Dahl will drive the creative vision and oversee the teams responsible for all content generated by NASCAR Studios and NASCAR Digital Media across multiple business areas. Those include production, programming, and operations.
His scope will cover the full spectrum of long and short-form storytelling around all aspects of motorsport, ranging from features, documentaries, and branded content to social media, NASCAR.com, and in-app executions for NASCAR’s primary and ancillary platforms.
Dahl will report directly to Tim Clark, NASCAR SVP and Chief Digital Officer,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the BBC’s highest profile radio presenters has apologized for comments about people with glass eyes in a recent video to promote his new children’s book.
Greg James, who presents BBC Radio One’s flagship breakfast show, and former newsreader Chris Smith appeared in a video to promote The Twits Next Door, their co-written book inspired by Roald Dahl’s famous characters The Twits.
Viewers watched them discuss how to make their fictional characters “more revolting… really gross and horrible.” The BBC reports that when illustrator Emily Jones suggested giving characters a glass eye, Smith responded: “That’s it. What a disgusting pair of Twits.”
After the video appeared, criticism of the pair included a statement from The Royal National Institute of Blind People, which the BBC quotes as saying:
“When there’s positive representation of disabilities in children’s books, children with disabilities feel seen and heard,...
Greg James, who presents BBC Radio One’s flagship breakfast show, and former newsreader Chris Smith appeared in a video to promote The Twits Next Door, their co-written book inspired by Roald Dahl’s famous characters The Twits.
Viewers watched them discuss how to make their fictional characters “more revolting… really gross and horrible.” The BBC reports that when illustrator Emily Jones suggested giving characters a glass eye, Smith responded: “That’s it. What a disgusting pair of Twits.”
After the video appeared, criticism of the pair included a statement from The Royal National Institute of Blind People, which the BBC quotes as saying:
“When there’s positive representation of disabilities in children’s books, children with disabilities feel seen and heard,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Were you worried that the one-two-three punch of "Morbius," "Renfield," and "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" misfiring at the box office would spell the death of vampire horror for the foreseeable future? If so, rest assured, it takes more than a few random stabs to slay this blood-thirsty genre. 2024 will see the Og cinematic creature of the night, Count Orlok, return to show everyone how it's done when Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" remake attacks theaters next winter. Luckily, in the meantime, horror aficionados can satiate their bloodlust by checking out "Abigail," the latest from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and producer Chad Villella (the trio also known as Radio Silence).
Unlike the 2017 "Mummy" or Leigh Whannell's "The Invisible Man," this particular Universal production isn't strictly a remake of a classic horror film from the studio's library. Instead, it's a picture that seems to have a lot in common...
Unlike the 2017 "Mummy" or Leigh Whannell's "The Invisible Man," this particular Universal production isn't strictly a remake of a classic horror film from the studio's library. Instead, it's a picture that seems to have a lot in common...
- 4/4/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The cast was not prepared for the gory madness ahead.
Get ready for an absolute blood bath, sometimes literally, to get unleashed in the Radio Silence-directed Abigail. Also cue the blood canons: Bloody Disgusting can exclusively debut Abigail‘s “It’s a Blood Bath!” featurette, giving a closer look at the carnage in store.
Releasing April 19, Abigail has been rated “R” for “Strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use.” And it’s not hard to see why, either.
Watch the featurette below to get a peek at the actors getting coated in blood and discussing the gory challenges of making Abigail.
In the film, “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle,...
Get ready for an absolute blood bath, sometimes literally, to get unleashed in the Radio Silence-directed Abigail. Also cue the blood canons: Bloody Disgusting can exclusively debut Abigail‘s “It’s a Blood Bath!” featurette, giving a closer look at the carnage in store.
Releasing April 19, Abigail has been rated “R” for “Strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use.” And it’s not hard to see why, either.
Watch the featurette below to get a peek at the actors getting coated in blood and discussing the gory challenges of making Abigail.
In the film, “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
After missing the chance to accept his first Oscar in person, following his win for Best Live-Action Short for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson has addressed the circumstances surrounding his absence and what he would’ve said in his speech.
“If I could have been there, I (along with [producer] Steven Rales) would have said ‘Thank You’ to: the family of Roald Dahl; the team at Netflix; Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Ralph [Fiennes] and Ben Kingsley and Dev [Patel] … and more [of the cast and crew],” Anderson stated. “And also: If I had not met Owen Wilson in a corridor at the University of Texas between classes when I was 18 years old, I would certainly not be receiving this award tonight — but unfortunately Steven and I are in Germany and we start shooting our new movie early tomorrow morning, so I did not actually receive the award [in person] or get a chance to say any of that.”
Anderson...
“If I could have been there, I (along with [producer] Steven Rales) would have said ‘Thank You’ to: the family of Roald Dahl; the team at Netflix; Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Ralph [Fiennes] and Ben Kingsley and Dev [Patel] … and more [of the cast and crew],” Anderson stated. “And also: If I had not met Owen Wilson in a corridor at the University of Texas between classes when I was 18 years old, I would certainly not be receiving this award tonight — but unfortunately Steven and I are in Germany and we start shooting our new movie early tomorrow morning, so I did not actually receive the award [in person] or get a chance to say any of that.”
Anderson...
- 3/11/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Wes Anderson has won his first-ever Oscar. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar took home the gold for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards, marking a much-deserved victory for the eight-time nominated filmmaker. Based on the 1977 Roald Dahl work of the same name, the film is part of a collection of four shorts — alongside The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison — directed by Anderson for Netflix.
Anderson has been thinking of adapting Henry Sugar, a story that captivated him as a child,for two decades. There was only one problem: The filmmaker struggled with how to tell the story without using Dahl’s magical words. And then it finally clicked — he didn’t have to. “When I finally had the moment of inspiration, the idea was: ‘I am equally interested in the way Dahl tells the story as I am in the story itself,’ ”...
Anderson has been thinking of adapting Henry Sugar, a story that captivated him as a child,for two decades. There was only one problem: The filmmaker struggled with how to tell the story without using Dahl’s magical words. And then it finally clicked — he didn’t have to. “When I finally had the moment of inspiration, the idea was: ‘I am equally interested in the way Dahl tells the story as I am in the story itself,’ ”...
- 3/11/2024
- by John DiLillo
- Tudum - Netflix
After eight nominations for six different films he has made, director Wes Anderson has finally won his first Oscar.
Receiving the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short for his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” seems unconventional for both the category, which normally awards emerging filmmakers, and Anderson himself, who was best known till this point for directing features such as “Asteroid City” (which happened to also be in awards contention this season.)
His win was over fellow nominees “The After,” from director Misan Harriman, “Invincible,” from director Vincent René-Lortie, “Knight of Fortune,” from director Lasse Lyskjær Noer, and “Red, White and Blue” from director Nazrin Choudhury.
Anderson’s Oscar achievement comes as a bit of a full circle moment for the auteur, coming just over two decades since his career as a professional filmmaker kicked off with the premiere of his short “Bottle Rocket...
Receiving the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short for his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” seems unconventional for both the category, which normally awards emerging filmmakers, and Anderson himself, who was best known till this point for directing features such as “Asteroid City” (which happened to also be in awards contention this season.)
His win was over fellow nominees “The After,” from director Misan Harriman, “Invincible,” from director Vincent René-Lortie, “Knight of Fortune,” from director Lasse Lyskjær Noer, and “Red, White and Blue” from director Nazrin Choudhury.
Anderson’s Oscar achievement comes as a bit of a full circle moment for the auteur, coming just over two decades since his career as a professional filmmaker kicked off with the premiere of his short “Bottle Rocket...
- 3/11/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
The buzz around the 96th Oscars is at an all-time high! With 2023 being one stellar year for cinema, fans are enthusiastically rooting for their favorites including Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. to take home the gold. Still, amidst all the glitz and glamour of big-budget blockbusters like Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Poor Things, there’s a little gem that might just get overshadowed, and that is Benedict Cumberbatch’s short film, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. But this film deserves all the light to shine bright on it, here’s why!
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Credit: Netflix)
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Is Vying for Its Spot to Win the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film
Amidst all the debates and speculation about who will win the Best Actor and Margot Robbie’s most talked about Oscar nomination snub, this hidden gem...
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Credit: Netflix)
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Is Vying for Its Spot to Win the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film
Amidst all the debates and speculation about who will win the Best Actor and Margot Robbie’s most talked about Oscar nomination snub, this hidden gem...
- 3/10/2024
- by Sampurna Banerjee
- FandomWire
Since we’re talking about the short films, I’ll accordingly keep this brief. Here are five reasons why “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” will win the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
1. It’s the clear standout in the category.
All five nominees are exceptional — the others being “The After,” “Red, White and Blue,” “Invincible” and “Knight of Fortune.” In a less competitive year, any one of them could easily walk away with the prize. But it’s simply too hard for anything to top “Henry Sugar.” Based on the short story of the same name by celebrated children’s author Roald Dahl, the film is seamlessly adapted to the screen with the same charm, wit and magic of the original tale. “Henry Sugar” features superb acting, exquisite costume and production design, beautiful cinematography and sharp editing. It holds an outstanding 95% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...
1. It’s the clear standout in the category.
All five nominees are exceptional — the others being “The After,” “Red, White and Blue,” “Invincible” and “Knight of Fortune.” In a less competitive year, any one of them could easily walk away with the prize. But it’s simply too hard for anything to top “Henry Sugar.” Based on the short story of the same name by celebrated children’s author Roald Dahl, the film is seamlessly adapted to the screen with the same charm, wit and magic of the original tale. “Henry Sugar” features superb acting, exquisite costume and production design, beautiful cinematography and sharp editing. It holds an outstanding 95% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Tariq Khan
- Gold Derby
In this brave new world of "Star Wars" fandom, it's almost unfathomable that there exist elements within the various films, novels, comics, and TV shows that don't have some sort of backstory or origin point. While obviously this stems from the huge fanbase for "Star Wars" loving the fictional universe so much that they wish to study and know absolutely everything that's in it, this trend also originated out of an inherent idea popularized by creator George Lucas with the very first movie in the franchise back in 1977 -- the implication that we're seeing a small part of a larger world, and every planet, ship, and creature we see (whether in the foreground or background) has its own history and story.
It's a powerful implication, and one that's essential to constructing a wholly fictional universe. Yet, of course, it's mostly hogwash -- or at least it used to be. While...
It's a powerful implication, and one that's essential to constructing a wholly fictional universe. Yet, of course, it's mostly hogwash -- or at least it used to be. While...
- 3/9/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
It’s just a fact that, for all their wonder and whimsy, Roald Dahl‘s children’s books can be terrifying. The heroine of Matilda, abandoned to a strict school by uncaring parents, must survive the cruelties of the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Unlike the friendly giant of the title, the other giants in The Bfg snatch humans to eat from their beds every night. The Witches concerns a conspiracy of demonic crones bent on eradicating kids altogether.
In other words, Dahl’s often macabre fantasies are not safe spaces (as...
In other words, Dahl’s often macabre fantasies are not safe spaces (as...
- 2/29/2024
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, recently took part in an event that was far from his usual world of extraordinary treats.
The ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ that started on Feb. 24 in Glasgow, Scotland, has been called off. This event was tied to the release of the new movie Wonka.
Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in 2023’s Wonka
Children dressed as Willy Wonka characters were let down when they attended the event that promised a fun day but didn’t deliver. The promising chocolate-filled wonderland turned out to be unprofessional, leaving both the kids and their parents upset.
Guardians demanded for refund of the £35 ($44) they had shelled out for those disappointing tickets. Adding to the disappointment, attendees were met with a sad-looking Oompa Loompa, which didn’t sit well with fans.
Even after more than five days, fans are unwilling to forget about the Willy...
The ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ that started on Feb. 24 in Glasgow, Scotland, has been called off. This event was tied to the release of the new movie Wonka.
Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in 2023’s Wonka
Children dressed as Willy Wonka characters were let down when they attended the event that promised a fun day but didn’t deliver. The promising chocolate-filled wonderland turned out to be unprofessional, leaving both the kids and their parents upset.
Guardians demanded for refund of the £35 ($44) they had shelled out for those disappointing tickets. Adding to the disappointment, attendees were met with a sad-looking Oompa Loompa, which didn’t sit well with fans.
Even after more than five days, fans are unwilling to forget about the Willy...
- 2/29/2024
- by Shreya Jha
- FandomWire
If you want to view paradise, simply go and buy a ticket…That’s right, a sequel to last year’s Wonka – a surprise smash in the candy-coated eyes of many, raking in nearly $620 million worldwide – may be in the works, which should come as no surprise. But what could we expect from everybody’s favorite chocolatier? Its director may have some ideas in the vat…
As Paul King told ComicBook.com, a Wonka sequel may be inevitable based on its success and reception. At the same time, he and fellow minds behind the movie don’t see a need to rush it into production. “It’s definitely something we’re thinking about…One of the things I love most about David Heyman, my producer, is that he has made so many great movies that he doesn’t feel the pressure to just make a movie because it can be made.
As Paul King told ComicBook.com, a Wonka sequel may be inevitable based on its success and reception. At the same time, he and fellow minds behind the movie don’t see a need to rush it into production. “It’s definitely something we’re thinking about…One of the things I love most about David Heyman, my producer, is that he has made so many great movies that he doesn’t feel the pressure to just make a movie because it can be made.
- 2/29/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
An “immersive experience” that promised to transport Willy Wonka fans into a “magical realm” has turned out to be such an epic letdown that customers called the police and compared the attraction to a meth lab.
The U.K. event was titled Willy’s Chocolate Experience and charged customers $44 each (photos below). The attraction was not affiliated with the Warner Bros. movie Wonka, though the event’s marketing came as close as possible to suggesting it was based on author Roald Dahl’s creation. The ad copy invited fans to journey to “a universe where confectionary dreams are brought to life” that included “mind-expanding projections, optical marvels and exhibits that transport you into the realm of creativity” and “wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every turn!”
The event organizers apparently used artificial intelligence to generate promotional images that suggested a very high-quality attraction, which looked just like the immersive and...
The U.K. event was titled Willy’s Chocolate Experience and charged customers $44 each (photos below). The attraction was not affiliated with the Warner Bros. movie Wonka, though the event’s marketing came as close as possible to suggesting it was based on author Roald Dahl’s creation. The ad copy invited fans to journey to “a universe where confectionary dreams are brought to life” that included “mind-expanding projections, optical marvels and exhibits that transport you into the realm of creativity” and “wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every turn!”
The event organizers apparently used artificial intelligence to generate promotional images that suggested a very high-quality attraction, which looked just like the immersive and...
- 2/27/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After arriving on the big screen just in time to take advantage of the holiday box office rush last year, "Wonka" is a certified hit. Not only did the movie from "Paddington" director Paul King please critics and audiences alike, but it's raked in over $608 million at the worldwide box office. In fact, it has managed to stay in the top 10 box office chart this whole time. Even as the movie is available on PVOD at home and poised to hit physical media on February 27, "Wonka" is still playing on over 2,300 screens.
Considering the star power of leading man Timothée Chalamet and that kind of financial success, it's likely that a "Wonka" sequel will end up in theaters sometime in the next few years. Though Warner Bros. Pictures hasn't yet announced a follow-up, Paul King is already talking about potential ideas with co-writer Simon Farnaby, so it's only a matter...
Considering the star power of leading man Timothée Chalamet and that kind of financial success, it's likely that a "Wonka" sequel will end up in theaters sometime in the next few years. Though Warner Bros. Pictures hasn't yet announced a follow-up, Paul King is already talking about potential ideas with co-writer Simon Farnaby, so it's only a matter...
- 2/26/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Wes Anderson is driving through the Spanish countryside with his eight-year-old daughter, Freya; it’s her school holiday. At the end of our half-hour phone conversation, he reaches Barcelona. He has always loved making shorts, clocking a dozen since his career launched with 1993 Sundance entry “Bottle Rocket,” the short that inspired his eventual debut feature of the same name, when we first met. Now, he has an Oscar frontrunner, Venice premiere “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar,” the first and longest (39 minutes) of four increasingly strange Roald Dahl shorts currently on Netflix. “Henry Sugar” is notably the highest-rated live-action short of 2023 on Letterboxd.
Netflix, which owns the screen rights to the Dahl library, provided the budget for “Henry Sugar,” and when Anderson delivered the first film economically, he had some money left over and asked for a budget to complete three more shorts. Is he done? “It’s completely up to them,...
Netflix, which owns the screen rights to the Dahl library, provided the budget for “Henry Sugar,” and when Anderson delivered the first film economically, he had some money left over and asked for a budget to complete three more shorts. Is he done? “It’s completely up to them,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Director Wes Anderson “wasn’t quite sure for some time” how to go about adapting Roald Dahl’s short story “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” he explains in a long voicemail message. But then he came upon a realization: If he wasn’t directly adhering to the original text, he didn’t really want to turn the piece into a film at all.
“I realized that it was Roald Dahl’s words that made the stories particularly interesting, that without his language I was not really as interested in adapting them,” he tells THR. “But I found a way to do them where we kept his language at the center of them.”
That strategy involved having his actors narrate the story in direct address to camera, and hiring his The Grand Budapest Hotel star Ralph Fiennes to play Dahl himself. And while Anderson ended up making four shorts out of Dahl’s stories,...
“I realized that it was Roald Dahl’s words that made the stories particularly interesting, that without his language I was not really as interested in adapting them,” he tells THR. “But I found a way to do them where we kept his language at the center of them.”
That strategy involved having his actors narrate the story in direct address to camera, and hiring his The Grand Budapest Hotel star Ralph Fiennes to play Dahl himself. And while Anderson ended up making four shorts out of Dahl’s stories,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Esther Zuckerman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wonka Box Office Update (Korea) ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Even after spending over one and a half months in theatres, Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka is refusing to announce its exit from the box office game. This week, the film debuted in Korea, and right from the opening day, the response has been promising. But what has grabbed the attention of box office enthusiasts is the performance on the first Saturday. Keep reading to know more!
Wonka’s reception among critics & audiences
For those who don’t know, it was released in theatres on 15th December 2023. Upon its arrival, the musical fantasy film opened to mostly positive reviews from critics all across the globe. Other than that, the film already had good pre-release buzz, and there was a genuine interest on the ground level. This ground-level interest was further boosted due to favorable word-of-mouth, resulting in a successful affair at ticket windows.
Even after spending over one and a half months in theatres, Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka is refusing to announce its exit from the box office game. This week, the film debuted in Korea, and right from the opening day, the response has been promising. But what has grabbed the attention of box office enthusiasts is the performance on the first Saturday. Keep reading to know more!
Wonka’s reception among critics & audiences
For those who don’t know, it was released in theatres on 15th December 2023. Upon its arrival, the musical fantasy film opened to mostly positive reviews from critics all across the globe. Other than that, the film already had good pre-release buzz, and there was a genuine interest on the ground level. This ground-level interest was further boosted due to favorable word-of-mouth, resulting in a successful affair at ticket windows.
- 2/4/2024
- by Shalmesh More
- KoiMoi
As fans of Mel Stuart's 1971 film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" can likely tell you, author Roald Dahl hated the film. His original 1964 novel, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," was, he felt, not a whimsical, sentimental story, but a Dickensian odyssey into a surreal landscape. Additionally, Dahl hated the casting of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, preferring British actor Spike Milligan. Too much was changed from his original text. Why adapt a book to screen, Dahl felt, if you're going to alter everything?
Despite the author's objections, Stuart's film became deeply beloved among the children who saw it in the '70s and '80s, and many grew up holding the film -- which has plenty of Dahl-like bitterness and horror regardless -- very close to their hearts. "Willy Wonka" eventually became part of the ever-churning nostalgia machine, and decades after its release, aging Gen-Xers were suddenly able...
Despite the author's objections, Stuart's film became deeply beloved among the children who saw it in the '70s and '80s, and many grew up holding the film -- which has plenty of Dahl-like bitterness and horror regardless -- very close to their hearts. "Willy Wonka" eventually became part of the ever-churning nostalgia machine, and decades after its release, aging Gen-Xers were suddenly able...
- 1/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's membership has always viewed Wes Anderson with wary respect. Beginning with 2001's "The Royal Tenenbaums," the idiosyncratic filmmaker has been nominated for eight Oscars, but aside from "The Grand Budapest Hotel", the majority of voters seem puzzled by his movies. Some people outright hate them and trust me when I say that they cannot be swayed.
And if a film as warm and brilliantly constructed as last year's "Asteroid City" can't even snag what would've been Anderson's fourth Best Original Screenplay nod, there's no reason to believe he'll ever win over enough voters to take home a competitive Oscar in any of the feature categories (unless he drops the artifice and makes a more straightforward comedy about eccentrics like "Terms of Endearment").
The shorts categories, however, are a different story.
As expected, Anderson earned a Best Short Film (Live Action) nomination...
And if a film as warm and brilliantly constructed as last year's "Asteroid City" can't even snag what would've been Anderson's fourth Best Original Screenplay nod, there's no reason to believe he'll ever win over enough voters to take home a competitive Oscar in any of the feature categories (unless he drops the artifice and makes a more straightforward comedy about eccentrics like "Terms of Endearment").
The shorts categories, however, are a different story.
As expected, Anderson earned a Best Short Film (Live Action) nomination...
- 1/23/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
‘Mean Girls’ topped the charts with $34.5m while ‘The Beekeeper’ made $33.9m
Worldwide box office January 12-14 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world)Cume (world) 3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Mean Girls (Paramount) $34.5m $34.5m $6.5m $6.5m 17 2. The Beekeeper (MGM) $33.9m $34.1m $17.1m $16.7m 46 3. Wonka (Warner Bros) $23.7m $505.3m $15.3m $329.1m 78 4. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) $21.9m $373.7m $16.6m $265.5m 79 5. Johnny Keep Walking! (various) $19.5m $108.3m $19.5m $108.3m 1 6. Migration (Universal) $15.1m $172.6m $8.9m $86.9m 75 7. Anyone But You (Sony) $12m $78m $5.1m $22.8m 24 8. Wish (Disney) $8.8m $223.4m $8.6m $160.4m 52 9. Night Swim (Universal) $7.1m $29.7m $2.5m $10.6m 41 10. The Goldfinger (various...
Worldwide box office January 12-14 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world)Cume (world) 3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Mean Girls (Paramount) $34.5m $34.5m $6.5m $6.5m 17 2. The Beekeeper (MGM) $33.9m $34.1m $17.1m $16.7m 46 3. Wonka (Warner Bros) $23.7m $505.3m $15.3m $329.1m 78 4. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) $21.9m $373.7m $16.6m $265.5m 79 5. Johnny Keep Walking! (various) $19.5m $108.3m $19.5m $108.3m 1 6. Migration (Universal) $15.1m $172.6m $8.9m $86.9m 75 7. Anyone But You (Sony) $12m $78m $5.1m $22.8m 24 8. Wish (Disney) $8.8m $223.4m $8.6m $160.4m 52 9. Night Swim (Universal) $7.1m $29.7m $2.5m $10.6m 41 10. The Goldfinger (various...
- 1/15/2024
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Roald Dahl's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was first published in 1963, and has been a perennial classroom favorite ever since. The story tells the tale of an impoverished, Dickensian moppet named Charlie who wins a sweepstakes held by the chocolate factory in his town. The chocolate factory, overseen by an eccentric recluse named Willy Wonka, produced sweets with eerie, magical powers; multi-flavored chewing gum caused its chewer to expand into a massive blueberry. That sort of thing. Of all the children who won Willy Wonka's sweepstakes, only Charlie survived the tour. Well, the other kids survived, but definitely the worse for wear.
Dahl's book was first adapted to a feature film in 1971, but that was only the first adaptation of many. The BBC adapted the book into a radio drama in 1983, and Zx Spectrum adapted it into a video game in 1985. There was a second video game...
Dahl's book was first adapted to a feature film in 1971, but that was only the first adaptation of many. The BBC adapted the book into a radio drama in 1983, and Zx Spectrum adapted it into a video game in 1985. There was a second video game...
- 1/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The death of the Dark Universe was painful for those who saw its potential but a boon for Universal's larger monster horror franchise. Three years after the studio's 2017 "Mummy" crashed and burned at the box office, "Saw" and "Insidious" creator Leigh Whannell delivers a bold new take on "The Invisible Man" that reinvented the classic property while also establishing an exciting director-driven approach for future Universal monster re-imaginings. Whannell will try and repeat that success later this year with his "Wolf Man" reboot, which (naturally) made /FIlm's most anticipated movies of 2024. Before that, though, it turns out we're getting a seemingly brand-new and perhaps even more intriguing Universal monster flick titled "Abigail."
Universal's previously untitled film hails from Radio Silence, the filmmaking trio -- comprised of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and producer Chad Villella -- behind the low-budget horror-comedy hit "Ready or Not," as well as the...
Universal's previously untitled film hails from Radio Silence, the filmmaking trio -- comprised of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and producer Chad Villella -- behind the low-budget horror-comedy hit "Ready or Not," as well as the...
- 1/11/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Following a vintage year in 2023, Wes Anderson is looking to enter 2024 in productive fashion, it seems.
Even by his (presumably beautifully-appointed) standards, Wes Anderson enjoyed a stellar 2023. He doesn’t appear to be stopping for long to take it all in.
His feature film Asteroid City was hailed as an outstanding achievement, while the filmmaker’s series of Roald Dahl short films released on Netflix to no shortage of acclaim. Following a vintage year, it seems that Anderson is looking to challenge himself once more in 2024 as he looks to take on the espionage genre. It’s said to be an unconventional three-hander that is set to shoot in the spring.
Focusing largely on three cast members is unconventional for Anderson in two senses: firstly, the filmmaker is renowned for building larger ensemble casts while this (as yet untitled) project is said to focus almost entirely on three actors played by Benicio del Toro,...
Even by his (presumably beautifully-appointed) standards, Wes Anderson enjoyed a stellar 2023. He doesn’t appear to be stopping for long to take it all in.
His feature film Asteroid City was hailed as an outstanding achievement, while the filmmaker’s series of Roald Dahl short films released on Netflix to no shortage of acclaim. Following a vintage year, it seems that Anderson is looking to challenge himself once more in 2024 as he looks to take on the espionage genre. It’s said to be an unconventional three-hander that is set to shoot in the spring.
Focusing largely on three cast members is unconventional for Anderson in two senses: firstly, the filmmaker is renowned for building larger ensemble casts while this (as yet untitled) project is said to focus almost entirely on three actors played by Benicio del Toro,...
- 1/9/2024
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Warner Bros’ ’Wonka’ is now less than $10m behind the lifetime global total of Tim Burton’s ’Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’.
Worldwide box office January 5-7 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Wonka (Warner Bros) $43.4m $465.9m $28.9m $301.2m 78 2. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) $40.9m $334.8m $30.3m $234.8m 78 3. Migration (Universal) $25.7m $150.7m $15.5m $72.9m 74 4. Johnny Keep Walking! (various) $22.5m $77.2m $22.5m $77.2m 1 5. Wish (Disney) $19.8m $209.5m $19m $146.9m 52 6. Night Swim (Universal) $17.7m $17.7m $5.7m $5.7m 37 7. Anyone But You (Sony) $14.9m $58.4m $5.4m $14.7m 20 8. The Goldfinger (various) $10.5m $51.4m $10.4m...
Worldwide box office January 5-7 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Wonka (Warner Bros) $43.4m $465.9m $28.9m $301.2m 78 2. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) $40.9m $334.8m $30.3m $234.8m 78 3. Migration (Universal) $25.7m $150.7m $15.5m $72.9m 74 4. Johnny Keep Walking! (various) $22.5m $77.2m $22.5m $77.2m 1 5. Wish (Disney) $19.8m $209.5m $19m $146.9m 52 6. Night Swim (Universal) $17.7m $17.7m $5.7m $5.7m 37 7. Anyone But You (Sony) $14.9m $58.4m $5.4m $14.7m 20 8. The Goldfinger (various) $10.5m $51.4m $10.4m...
- 1/8/2024
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
‘Wonka’ powers ahead to $379m total whilst ‘Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom’ swims to $251m.
Worldwide box office December 29-31 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world)Cume (world) 3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Shining For One Thing (various) $77.1m $77.1m $77.1m $77.1m 3 2. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) $70m $251.4m $50.5m $173.6m 78 3. Wonka (Warner Bros) $63m $379m $39.1m $244.4m 78 4. Migration (Universal) $34.3m $100.7m $17.1m $46.4m 69 5. Johnny Keep Walking! (various) $25.8m £32.3m $25.8m $32.3m 1 6. I Did It My Way (various) $25.7m $26m $25.7m $26m 1 7. The Goldfinger (various) $23m $23m $23m $23m 8 8. Wish (Disney) $16.7m $176.4m $15.4m $115.8m 45 9. Anyone But You...
Worldwide box office December 29-31 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world)Cume (world) 3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Shining For One Thing (various) $77.1m $77.1m $77.1m $77.1m 3 2. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) $70m $251.4m $50.5m $173.6m 78 3. Wonka (Warner Bros) $63m $379m $39.1m $244.4m 78 4. Migration (Universal) $34.3m $100.7m $17.1m $46.4m 69 5. Johnny Keep Walking! (various) $25.8m £32.3m $25.8m $32.3m 1 6. I Did It My Way (various) $25.7m $26m $25.7m $26m 1 7. The Goldfinger (various) $23m $23m $23m $23m 8 8. Wish (Disney) $16.7m $176.4m $15.4m $115.8m 45 9. Anyone But You...
- 1/1/2024
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Part of a series of magnificent interpretations of the short works of Roald Dahl by the eminently well qualified Wes Anderson, and now shortlisted for an Oscar, this is a perfect example of how to adapt a tale which might easily be considered too sugary – or simply a sugar-coated take on a problematic social stance – delivering it in a way which has the bite of Dahl at his best and yet retains a real sweetness. It’s the story of a man whose discovery that he can, through the power of his will, manipulate games of chance, has an unexpected effect on the way he lives his life and thinks about other people. Dahl’s interests in luck, trickery and the mechanics of power are all on display here, but the story feels light and breezy thanks to Anderson’s own sleight of hand.
It’s hard to imagine a better director or.
It’s hard to imagine a better director or.
- 12/26/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Paul King believes ‘Wonka’ is the “perfect Christmas movie”.The 45-year-old filmmaker released his ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ prequel – which stars Timothee Chalamet as chocolatier Willy Wonka – earlier this month and he thinks the themes are the musical are just right for the festive season.He told Radio Times magazine: “In ‘Wonka’, I feel we have made the perfect Christmas movie.“It’s like a great chocolate.“It’s got a fun, colourful exterior and a warm, sweet centre that will leave you with a delicious aftertaste!“And while it would be great fun to scoff the whole box down on your own, you’re better off sharing it with your family and friends.”Paul recently defended criticism of the film after he faced a backlash for casting Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa.Paul told BBC News: "Dahl describes (the Oompa-Loompas) as no higher than my knee or...
- 12/24/2023
- by Viki Waters
- Bang Showbiz
One of the most daunting challenges of “Wonka” was coming up with the design of the fantastical chocolate shop at the centerpiece of Paul King’s origin story. In a way, it’s a forerunner of the famous chocolate factory with echoes of the chocolate room, boat, and chocolate river, which King channels from both the 1964 Roald Dahl novel (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) and the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder (“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”).
However, it’s the invention of a crucial childhood memory that propels the journey of inventor, magician, and chocolatier Willy (Timothée Chalamet), who arrives in Europe to establish his chocolate shop at the Galeries Gourmet, only to run up against a ruthless chocolate cartel. But through a combination of creative ingenuity, heroic teamwork, and the most magical chocolate ever imagined, Willy manages to open his shop — at least temporarily.
“I love the idea that...
However, it’s the invention of a crucial childhood memory that propels the journey of inventor, magician, and chocolatier Willy (Timothée Chalamet), who arrives in Europe to establish his chocolate shop at the Galeries Gourmet, only to run up against a ruthless chocolate cartel. But through a combination of creative ingenuity, heroic teamwork, and the most magical chocolate ever imagined, Willy manages to open his shop — at least temporarily.
“I love the idea that...
- 12/22/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with the Paul King-directed and co-written Wonka. From Warner Bros, Village Roadshow and Heyday Films, the Timothée Chalamet starrer is also co-written by Simon Farnaby based on characters created by Roald Dahl.
Wonka, from Harry Potter producer David Heyman and Paddington director King, sees Chalamet in the titular role of the enigmatic candy maker. The origin story/musical also stars Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Colman, Jim Carter and Matt Lucas. Hugh Grant plays the “something of a whopper” Oompa-Loompa named Lofty.
Excitement for the holiday release was first stoked back at CinemaCon in April 2022, and with the first two weekends of global rollout now just behind us, the movie has made upwards of $150 million worldwide with plenty of play ahead. It’s at 84% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 91% score from audiences.
Wonka, from Harry Potter producer David Heyman and Paddington director King, sees Chalamet in the titular role of the enigmatic candy maker. The origin story/musical also stars Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Colman, Jim Carter and Matt Lucas. Hugh Grant plays the “something of a whopper” Oompa-Loompa named Lofty.
Excitement for the holiday release was first stoked back at CinemaCon in April 2022, and with the first two weekends of global rollout now just behind us, the movie has made upwards of $150 million worldwide with plenty of play ahead. It’s at 84% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 91% score from audiences.
- 12/20/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
When Paul King's 2014 film "Paddington" came out, audiences had reason to be skeptical. The beloved title character, a talking Peruvian bear left alone at London's Paddington station, wasn't necessarily a good fit for a live-action take. Movies like 2002's "Scooby Doo" and 2007's "Alvin and the Chipmunks" were proof that audiences would show up for CGI versions of classic characters, but the movies could also be ugly and loud, the most cynical kind of children's movie. Nobody wanted that fate for Paddington Bear.
But the character flourished in the new medium. King's film received a great deal of critical praise, getting a 97% positive approval rate on RottenTomatoes. The movie was sparkling, playful, and gleefully imaginative, and rather than stop the movie dead, Paddington's (voiced by Ben Wheatley) wild antics set the stage for physical comedy in the vein of Charlie Chaplin. 2017's "Paddington 2" was even better, finding...
But the character flourished in the new medium. King's film received a great deal of critical praise, getting a 97% positive approval rate on RottenTomatoes. The movie was sparkling, playful, and gleefully imaginative, and rather than stop the movie dead, Paddington's (voiced by Ben Wheatley) wild antics set the stage for physical comedy in the vein of Charlie Chaplin. 2017's "Paddington 2" was even better, finding...
- 12/19/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
Every Roald Dahl Adaptation Ranked From ‘Wonka’ to ‘Witches’ Roald Dahl’s stories have been a fertile ground for cinematic adaptations, each weaving its own magic and mischief from the pages to the screen. In this ranking, we explore the various interpretations of Dahl’s classics, from the ones that left us craving more to those that captured our hearts and imaginations. Let’s dive into a world of pure imagination, as we rank these adaptations from least to most celebrated. 1. The Witches (2020 film) Despite Robert Zemeckis’s attempt to blend relatability with special effects, the 2020 adaptation of The Witches fell...
- 12/18/2023
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Four-time Academy Award nominee Nathan Crowley grew up in England with his mother reading Roald Dahl stories to him. So he reached a full circle moment when, decades later, he was asked to serve as the production designer on Paul King’s “Wonka,” which offers a heartwarming origin story for Dahl’s iconic chocolatier.
“Obviously, the film when I was a young kid was unbelievable — Gene Wilder!” Crowley tells Variety. “How old was I, seven? It was just magic. It was part of my youth. So to get to do a ‘Wonka’ film, why wouldn’t you do that?”
In “Wonka,” the eccentric candymaker is not yet the jaded success story audiences know from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” in which he teaches brutal lessons to spoiled children. Willy (Timothée Chalamet) is just starting his career and has the singular goal of realizing his childhood dream of making and sharing...
“Obviously, the film when I was a young kid was unbelievable — Gene Wilder!” Crowley tells Variety. “How old was I, seven? It was just magic. It was part of my youth. So to get to do a ‘Wonka’ film, why wouldn’t you do that?”
In “Wonka,” the eccentric candymaker is not yet the jaded success story audiences know from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” in which he teaches brutal lessons to spoiled children. Willy (Timothée Chalamet) is just starting his career and has the singular goal of realizing his childhood dream of making and sharing...
- 12/16/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Spoilers for "Wonka" follow.
Director Paul King, best known for the "Paddington" movies, chose to venture away from the terribly kind Peruvian bear for a journey into the world of author Roald Dahl. "Wonka" focuses on an origin story inspired by "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the book that was previously turned into the 1971 classic film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" with Gene Wilder as the eccentric chocolatier, as well as Tim Burton's take on the material in 2005 with Johnny Depp donning the top hat. This time, it's Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, who is looking to open up his own chocolate shop in honor of his late mother (Sally Hawkins), the woman responsible for his love of chocolate.
In "Wonka," the candyman faces a variety of challenges, including his own naivete. But the biggest hurdle is the chocolate cartel, a trio of professional candy makers...
Director Paul King, best known for the "Paddington" movies, chose to venture away from the terribly kind Peruvian bear for a journey into the world of author Roald Dahl. "Wonka" focuses on an origin story inspired by "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the book that was previously turned into the 1971 classic film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" with Gene Wilder as the eccentric chocolatier, as well as Tim Burton's take on the material in 2005 with Johnny Depp donning the top hat. This time, it's Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, who is looking to open up his own chocolate shop in honor of his late mother (Sally Hawkins), the woman responsible for his love of chocolate.
In "Wonka," the candyman faces a variety of challenges, including his own naivete. But the biggest hurdle is the chocolate cartel, a trio of professional candy makers...
- 12/15/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
They were all young once: Don Corleone and Darth Vader, Butch and Sundance, Hannibal and Leatherface, Maleficent and Cruella. And long before he was the world’s best-known chocolatier and distributor of life-changing golden tickets, William “Willy” Wonka was just a twentysomething kid with a top hat, a sweet tooth, and a dream.
For decades, we could only guess how the bright-eyed lad became the candymaker-in-chief. This is where Wonka comes in. A prequel that seeks to both fill in the blanks regarding Roald Dahl’s eccentric sugar pimp and...
For decades, we could only guess how the bright-eyed lad became the candymaker-in-chief. This is where Wonka comes in. A prequel that seeks to both fill in the blanks regarding Roald Dahl’s eccentric sugar pimp and...
- 12/14/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
The cast of the upcoming film ‘Wonka’, which stars Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key and Simon Farnaby among others, got a chance to taste the popular Indian candy ‘Mango Bite’ and their reactions suggest that they loved it.
A video shared by Warner Bros. India shows Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key and Simon Farnaby trying the Indian candy.
Chalamet likes the bright yellow and green packaging.
To which, Coleman says the packaging “is like a little handbag.”
She then tries the candy calling it is yummy and tagged it as her “favourite”.
Grant then tries it and said: “I am liking this very much. It takes me back to Calcutta (Kolkata).”
Chalamet says the last three candies, including this one were a “home run.”
Keegan loves it too.
The interviewer talks about how children share this candy in school on their birthday,...
A video shared by Warner Bros. India shows Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key and Simon Farnaby trying the Indian candy.
Chalamet likes the bright yellow and green packaging.
To which, Coleman says the packaging “is like a little handbag.”
She then tries the candy calling it is yummy and tagged it as her “favourite”.
Grant then tries it and said: “I am liking this very much. It takes me back to Calcutta (Kolkata).”
Chalamet says the last three candies, including this one were a “home run.”
Keegan loves it too.
The interviewer talks about how children share this candy in school on their birthday,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Agency News Desk
The cast of the upcoming film ‘Wonka’, which stars Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key and Simon Farnaby among others, got a chance to taste the popular Indian candy ‘Mango Bite’ and their reactions suggest that they loved it.
A video shared by Warner Bros. India shows Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key and Simon Farnaby trying the Indian candy.
Chalamet likes the bright yellow and green packaging.
To which, Coleman says the packaging “is like a little handbag.”
She then tries the candy calling it is yummy and tagged it as her “favourite”.
Grant then tries it and said: “I am liking this very much. It takes me back to Calcutta (Kolkata).”
Chalamet says the last three candies, including this one were a “home run.”
Keegan loves it too.
The interviewer talks about how children share this candy in school on their birthday,...
A video shared by Warner Bros. India shows Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key and Simon Farnaby trying the Indian candy.
Chalamet likes the bright yellow and green packaging.
To which, Coleman says the packaging “is like a little handbag.”
She then tries the candy calling it is yummy and tagged it as her “favourite”.
Grant then tries it and said: “I am liking this very much. It takes me back to Calcutta (Kolkata).”
Chalamet says the last three candies, including this one were a “home run.”
Keegan loves it too.
The interviewer talks about how children share this candy in school on their birthday,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Wonka, the phantasmagorical musical starring Timothée Chalamet as the world’s most famous chocolatier, opens in cinemas in time for the holiday season this week. The film, directed by Paul King of Paddington fame, arrives on the big screen with a lot of audience skepticism. We already have two very popular adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most beloved novel, and the idea of a prequel following young Willy Wonka feels unnecessary given that the book isn’t exactly about him. Still, there is a reason that Dahl adaptations remain popular, even as the author long faced pushback for some of his more bigoted views.
People love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, first published in 1964, because it’s as delicious as the confectionaries made by Wonka. The story of five varied children who win a contest to tour a secretive factory is cheeky, strange, occasionally grotesque,...
People love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, first published in 1964, because it’s as delicious as the confectionaries made by Wonka. The story of five varied children who win a contest to tour a secretive factory is cheeky, strange, occasionally grotesque,...
- 12/13/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Timothee Chalamet is open to returning for a 'Wonka' sequel.The 27-year-old actor stars as a young Willy Wonka in Paul King's blockbuster musical movie, which tells the origin story of the character from Roald Dahl's classic tale 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.And Timothee believes there is plenty more to his chocolate inventor character's story for a second film.Asked about a sequel, he told 'Entertainment Tonight': "If there was a story to be told. And evidently there is." There is a whole 25 years that is blank before the late Gene Wilder's Wonka in the 1971 version of 'Charlie and The Chocolate Factory'.The 'Dune' star said: "Something twisted happens."I don't know how we started like this and end there - I don't know what the story is."King insists the story could conclude where it is, but he too...
- 12/11/2023
- by Lizzie Baker
- Bang Showbiz
Hugh Grant "hated" playing an Oompa-Loompa in 'Wonka'.The 63-year-old actor stars as the diminutive, orange-faced Lofty in the new movie – a prequel to Roald Dahl's classic story 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' – and admits that he loathed the filmmaking process that enabled animators to capture the appearance of his character.Hugh told reporters at a press conference for the flick: "It was like a crown of thorns, very uncomfortable."I made a big fuss about it. I couldn't have hated the whole thing more."Hugh explained that his displeasure came from not being certain whether he was supposed to act with his entire body or just through his facial expressions.The 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' star said: "I never received a satisfactory answer. And frankly, what I did with my body was terrible, and it's all been replaced with an animator."Hugh later...
- 12/7/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Hugh Grant Goes Candid About Playing Oompa Loompa In Upcoming Film Wonka! ( Photo Credit – Instagram; IMDb )
Hollywood star Hugh Grant will soon be seen as Oompa Loompa in Paul King’s Wonka, which features American-French actor Timothee Chalamet in the titular role. The musical fantasy chronicles the origin story of candy maker Willy Wonka, a character who was first introduced in 1964 by Roald Dahl in the children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and has most famously been portrayed on-screen by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). In the 1971 film starring Wilder, the factory had many workers with orange skin and green hair; Grant’s appearance takes inspiration from the same in the upcoming film.
Grant’s character in Wonka was filmed using too many cameras and other tools for animators to animate his movements, which, the 63-year-old said,...
Hollywood star Hugh Grant will soon be seen as Oompa Loompa in Paul King’s Wonka, which features American-French actor Timothee Chalamet in the titular role. The musical fantasy chronicles the origin story of candy maker Willy Wonka, a character who was first introduced in 1964 by Roald Dahl in the children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and has most famously been portrayed on-screen by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). In the 1971 film starring Wilder, the factory had many workers with orange skin and green hair; Grant’s appearance takes inspiration from the same in the upcoming film.
Grant’s character in Wonka was filmed using too many cameras and other tools for animators to animate his movements, which, the 63-year-old said,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Shivani Negi
- KoiMoi
Eyebrows were raised and much dismissive discourse took place on social media when it was revealed that current Hollywood favourite, Timothée Chalamet, would be donning the famous top hat and purple coat to play a young Willy Wonka in an new adaptation of the much loved Roald Dahll adventure.
Written by the dream team that brought us Paddington in 2014 and the absolutely delightful Paddington 2 in 2017, Wonka serves as a prequel to Mel Stuart’s 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory which starred Gene Wilder as the iconic chocolatier.
Young Willy Wonka dreams of opening his own chocolate shop to perfect an art handed to him by his late mother (Sally Hawkins). Newly arrived in town with a head full of dream and a top hat overloading with magical marvel, Willy is set upon by a number of duplicitous individuals who would rather not share their wealthy customers with him.
Written by the dream team that brought us Paddington in 2014 and the absolutely delightful Paddington 2 in 2017, Wonka serves as a prequel to Mel Stuart’s 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory which starred Gene Wilder as the iconic chocolatier.
Young Willy Wonka dreams of opening his own chocolate shop to perfect an art handed to him by his late mother (Sally Hawkins). Newly arrived in town with a head full of dream and a top hat overloading with magical marvel, Willy is set upon by a number of duplicitous individuals who would rather not share their wealthy customers with him.
- 12/4/2023
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In his Paddington movies, Paul King folded animation and live action together into delightful all-ages adventures, selling a message of community and acceptance with spry wit and disarming sweetness, not to mention Ben Whishaw’s impeccable voice work, imbuing the gentle ursine protagonist with genuine heart. Depending on your appetite for sugary excess, you might embrace the director’s Wonka as more of the same. Or you might find the qualities that distinguished his previous hits get steamrolled here by strained whimsy, an aggressive charm that wears you down rather than lifts you up.
Mercifully, we’re a long way from the garish nightmare of Tim Burton’s 2005 film of the Roald Dahl novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Timothée Chalamet as the young Willy Wonka is nothing like Johnny Depp’s creepy take on the role. But Chalamet has two settings here — he’s either beaming with almost manic exuberance,...
Mercifully, we’re a long way from the garish nightmare of Tim Burton’s 2005 film of the Roald Dahl novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Timothée Chalamet as the young Willy Wonka is nothing like Johnny Depp’s creepy take on the role. But Chalamet has two settings here — he’s either beaming with almost manic exuberance,...
- 12/4/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When it was first announced Warner Bros. was in the early stages of developing a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel about Willy Wonka’s rise to fame and fortune, it was clear that the producers didn’t have a handle on what, exactly, this iteration of the character should feel like. Actors suggested for the role varied in age and screen persona, with upstarts like Ezra Miller being considered alongside older vets like Ryan Gosling and Donald Glover––and although Timothée Chalamet makes much more sense age-wise for a prequel set 25 years before the events of Roald Dahl’s novel, Wonka never manages to overcome just how miscast its lead feels.
Chalamet’s recently spoken about heeding Tom Cruise’s advice and taking dance lessons––so few young stars have those basic Old Hollywood talents––and this has the air of a project he boarded purely to put such skills to use.
Chalamet’s recently spoken about heeding Tom Cruise’s advice and taking dance lessons––so few young stars have those basic Old Hollywood talents––and this has the air of a project he boarded purely to put such skills to use.
- 12/4/2023
- by Alistair Ryder
- The Film Stage
Director Paul King does not qualify his newest movie as a traditional film production. Nor does he credit it as a Paul King “picture,” “joint,” or otherwise effort of industry. Instead, during the opening titles of Wonka, the movie is simply described as “a Paul King confection.” It’s a cute flourish for a movie about the most famous chocolate maker in cinema. It also proves surprisingly, and joyously, apt; for Wonka is indeed the sweetest thing you are likely to experience at a movie theater this holiday season. More impressive still, it doesn’t feel like teeth or brain rot either.
To be sure, in its best moments, Wonka is a pure sugar rush. It leaps and bounds alongside its characters as they dance across the surfaces of a nighttime sea; it also ascends as they do by way of a handful of balloons, floating ever upward toward a...
To be sure, in its best moments, Wonka is a pure sugar rush. It leaps and bounds alongside its characters as they dance across the surfaces of a nighttime sea; it also ascends as they do by way of a handful of balloons, floating ever upward toward a...
- 12/4/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Paul King’s Paddington and Paddington 2 are funny, delightfully inventive, and free of the snarky humor that dominates most kiddie fare. With Wonka, the latest rendition of the adventures of Roald Dahl’s eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, King offers more of the same. But in returning to the psychedelic, candy-fueled world that Dahl first introduced in 1964’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka also diverges in tone from both the book and the two subsequent films by Mel Stuart and Tim Burton, respectively, and does so to great effect.
Perhaps no one can top Gene Wilder’s uncanny performance as Wonka in Stuart’s 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Timothée Chalamet wisely doesn’t try to match the way that Wilder pivots from charming and merry to menacing and enraged on a dime, instead imbuing Wonka with a spiritedness befitting a prequel set years earlier, bringing a...
Perhaps no one can top Gene Wilder’s uncanny performance as Wonka in Stuart’s 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Timothée Chalamet wisely doesn’t try to match the way that Wilder pivots from charming and merry to menacing and enraged on a dime, instead imbuing Wonka with a spiritedness befitting a prequel set years earlier, bringing a...
- 12/4/2023
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
You might not be able to tell it from the trailers but Wonka, the latest movie inspired by Roald Dahl’s classic 1964 children’s story “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is, make no mistake about it, a full-on movie musical that I found to be more in the tradition of ’60s-era films like Oliver, Dr. Dolittle, Albert Finney’s Scrooge — basically a throwback to that kind of feel-good musical confection designed to be released during the year’s end.
Unlike 1971’s beloved (but not a hit initially) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, or Tim Burton’s darker 2005 take Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp, this version directed Paul King and co-written by King and Simon Farnaby is an origin story of how Willy Wonka came to be Wonka, the magician, inventor and chocolate maker extraordinaire. Both previous films certainly have their legions of fans,...
Unlike 1971’s beloved (but not a hit initially) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, or Tim Burton’s darker 2005 take Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp, this version directed Paul King and co-written by King and Simon Farnaby is an origin story of how Willy Wonka came to be Wonka, the magician, inventor and chocolate maker extraordinaire. Both previous films certainly have their legions of fans,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Two words: Young Wonka. This was the pitch from celebrated producer David Heyman to director Paul King at the end of their time working together on Paddington 2, according to King. “I think it was literally our last sign-off,” he smiles. Food for thought, right?
Several years and a pandemic later, their fruitful collaboration is finally making its way to screens in a whirlwind of color and candy.
“It was definitely the idea to try to make something that would be warming and festive at Christmas,” King says, but he’s quick to acknowledge that the world we live in today is not the same as the pre-covid time of the film’s conception. It’s a production that faced obstacles out of King and Heyman’s hands, but in a bit of serendipity, the movie might just have arrived at exactly the time it was needed.
Based on a...
Several years and a pandemic later, their fruitful collaboration is finally making its way to screens in a whirlwind of color and candy.
“It was definitely the idea to try to make something that would be warming and festive at Christmas,” King says, but he’s quick to acknowledge that the world we live in today is not the same as the pre-covid time of the film’s conception. It’s a production that faced obstacles out of King and Heyman’s hands, but in a bit of serendipity, the movie might just have arrived at exactly the time it was needed.
Based on a...
- 12/4/2023
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
'Wonka' director Paul King has defended the decision to cast Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa.The 63-year-old actor portrays the diminutive Lofty in the origin story for Roald Dahl's famous 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' character and the filmmaker felt that the 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' star fitted the part despite criticism that an actor with dwarfism was not cast.Paul told BBC News: "Dahl describes (the Oompa-Loompas) as no higher than my knee or about the size of a medium size doll."We tried to use the iconic look that they came up with in the 1971 movie with the green hair and the orange skin, and merge that with the way Dahl described them, in a way I think they may have done, had they had the technology we have today."Grant's role was questioned earlier this year by George Coppen,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
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