By now, films being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic is not surprising, as Warner Bros. Wonka prequel lead by Timothée Chalamet in the titular role has been pushed back from its original March 2023 release date to December 2023.
A prequel to Roald Dahl’s 1964 beloved classic novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka will be directed by Paul King, who is known for his work on critically acclaimed children’s films Paddington and Paddington 2. The Warner Bros. prequel will explore Willy Wonka’s early years before he meets the Oompa Loompas and becomes the well-known eccentric owner of the famous chocolate factory. Wonka will also be the first entry in a cinematic universe featuring well-known Dahl characters.
Warner Bros. announced Wonka will now be released in theaters on December 15, 2023. The film had initially been set for a March 17 debut in the same year. The studio also shuffled the release dates of many of their upcoming DC big projects like DC League of Super-Pets, Black Adam, The Flash, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. According to Deadline, many of these delays are due to the “logjam many post-prod effects houses are facing as productions ramped up during Covid.”
While vaccines and a gradual reopening in certain parts of the world may make it feel as if the pandemic is over, COVID-19 continues to be a serious threat, as Wonka has already suffered a delay in its production due to new cases from the cast and crew. So even though the delays are frustrating for audiences, since many of these Warner Bros. projects have been in development for years, it makes sense in order to guarantee films like Wonka smoothly wrap up its production without any rush and can have the most successful theatrical run when it’s finally released on the big screen.
Before Chalamet was cast, other big names such as Ryan Gosling, Donald Glover, and Ezra Miller were also rumored to be in talks for the lead role. But looking at Chalamet’s filmography in his young career, starring in acclaimed films like Call Me By Your Name, Beautiful Boy, Little Women, and most recently Dune, as well as seeing the actor in costume as Willy Wonka (which harkens back to the same look and feel of Gene Wilder’s 1971 portrayal), it seems like there is no one better to play the chocolatier.
Joining Chalamet in the exciting adventure are Key & Peele’s Keegan-Michael Key, Mr. Bean’s Rowan Atkinson, The Crown and The Favourite’s Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, and The Shape of Water’s Sally Hawkins. King will be co-writing alongside Paddington 2’s Simon Farnaby, while Paddington and Harry Potter’s David Heyman will serve as producer.
Wonka will now be released in theaters on December 15, 2023.
Source: Deadline
