WASHINGTON — The first official trailer for the Willy Wonka prequel "Wonka'" has dropped, giving moviegoers their first look at Timothée Chalamet's take on the candy-loving factory owner.
The trailer shows a baby-faced Chalamet beginning his chocolate empire, teasing territorial disputes with candy cartels and the origins of the spectacular, magical candy that made his chocolate factory so unique.
The "Dune" actor told Vogue that he was excited to work on a movie for children, whom he called "uncynical."
“To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy. That's why I was drawn to it,” he said to the outlet. “In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there’s so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate.”
The character of Willy Wonka is based on Roald Dahl's beloved "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" book, which focuses on a young boy going on a tour and eventually inheriting the chocolate factory from Wonka.
In the book, and subsequent big screen portrayals by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp, Wonka teases fantastical adventures in his past, including trips to the home of the Oompa-Loompa people. The orange-skinned, green haired workers frequently appear around the chocolate factory in the films, dancing and offering biting songs about the tour participants.
In the new movie trailer, we only get a glimpse at one Oompa-Loompa, played by Hugh Grant, who starts dancing while trapped in a glass jar.
But a quick shot at the start of the teaser might offer a first glimpse of their homeland, where Wonka gets his special chocolate, which can make people float or inflate or generally defy the usual laws of physics.
The Warner Bros. film is directed by "Paddington" director Paul King, with Peter Joseph, Rich Fulcher, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Calah Lane, Colin O’Brien, Rahkee Thakrar, Ellie White, Murray McArthur and Tracy Ifeachor all being featured in the film.
"Wonka" opens on Dec. 15, 2023.