After a year of speculation from Dune star Timothée Chalamet’s Instagram post, Warner Bros. has released the trailer for the upcoming fantasy musical Wonka. The film will follow the famous chocolatier’s origin story as he works hard to stand out in the candy-making industry.
Starring Chalamet, the trailer reveals a whimsical look into Wonka’s story and his efforts to beat the “chocolate cartel” and make a name for himself. Throughout the film, he and his assistant Noodle (Calah Lane) travel the world for the perfect ingredients while impressing London citizens with floating candy, chocolate fountains, and giraffes. Not only is the film directed by Paddington’s Paul King, but it also heralds a star-studded cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa that Wonka discovers in a humorous callback to the original 1971 film.
When asked in an interview about his involvement in the film, Chalamet explained that he wanted to help provide a sweet piece of media to the world: “In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there’s so much bad news all the time,” Chalamet explained, “this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate.” To Chalamet, Wonka is less about “mining up dark emotions” and more about being O.K. with the weirder parts of you that don’t quite fit in.”
Set to be released on December 15, many fans of the popular chocolate factory are holding their breaths in the hope that this prequel will maintain the wonder of Roald Dahl’s creation.