How Timothée Chalamet secured 'Wonka' role without auditioning? Find out
Timothée Chalamet is all set to ignite the screen in the highly-anticipated fantasy-musical drama, Wonka. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, director Paul King unveiled an intriguing revelation: Chalamet landed the coveted role of Willy Wonka without having to audition. Yes, you heard that right! Apparently, King was captivated by the 27-year-old's talent—having been mesmerized by Chalamet's old videos he found on YouTube.
Why does this story matter?
Wonka is scheduled to hit theaters on December 15. Interestingly, the film will showcase Chalamet's singing and dancing abilities—marking the first time he will demonstrate his talents on the silver screen. During Cinema Con, King promised that Wonka will incorporate song and dance numbers, featuring both original songs composed by The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon and reimagined versions of classics such as Pure Imagination.
'He was the one who could do it,' stated King
"It was a straight offer because he was the only person in my mind who could do it," stated King while mentioning that he saw Chalamet's high school musical performances on YouTube which apparently have "thousands of views." "I knew from stanning for Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well, but I didn't know how good he was," the director further said.
Chalamet was quite keen to do the part: King
"When I spoke to him he was quite keen. He'd done tap dancing in school and he was like, 'I'd quite like to show people I can do that,'" elaborated King. It is interesting to note that Chalamet previously in an interview has spoken about his motivations for taking on the role of Wonka, explaining that the "life of an artist can be extraordinary."
Besides Chalamet, who else is set to appear in 'Wonka'?
The film, which released its first trailer last Monday, introduced audiences to Chalamet as the eccentric chocolatier. In addition to him, the film also boasts a stacked cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Sally Hawkins, Matt Lucas, and Olivia Colman. The trailer caused a wave of excitement as we caught a glimpse of Hugh Grant, who will be portraying the role of Oompa Loompa.
In case you've missed the trailer, watch here
Here's everything you need to know about 'Wonka'
King—who is donning the hat of the director—has co-written the screenplay with Simon Farnaby. The screenplay has seen contributions from previous version writers, including Simon Rich and Steven Levenson. Notably, this will be the third time that Warner Bros. takes on the story of Wonka with the previous adaptations being Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
