WONKA Brings in Over $150 Million Worldwide
By Movieguide® Contributor
Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka prequel, WONKA, had a strong showing during its first weekend at the box office, bringing in over $39 million domestically and grossing over $150 million worldwide.
“WOWWWWW – actually can’t believe this!! What a week!” Chalamet wrote on Instagram following the movie’s strong international debut last week. “Thank you to everyone who saw WONKA in theaters this past weekend… Every good thing in this world started with a dream :).”
Willy Wonka has been a pervasive character in pop culture since Roald Dahl introduced him in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” WONKA is the third portrayal of the character on the silver screen and the first look at his early life. Along with Willy’s general popularity, the movie was boosted by Chalamet’s widespread audience and the kid-friendly storyline. Part of Movieguide®’s review reads:
WONKA is a very fun, funny movie, one of the most entertaining movies of the year. There are many fun and memorable songs throughout the movie, which makes it a delight to watch. WONKA shows good triumphing over evil through the magic of joy and great dreams. It also supports the little entrepreneur starting his own little business in the face of a government-sanctioned cartel. However, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older pre-teens because the cartel has bribed the police and a cathedral and its clerics with chocolate they can’t resist.
Along with Chalamet, the movie stars Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Grant and Rowan Atkinson. It was directed by PADDINGTON director Paul King.
“It was the right thing to do,” King said of leaving the PADDINGTON franchise for WONKA. “And because there’s so much PADDINGTON source material, you could make 50 PADDINGTON movies…But by the end of the second film, I was really pleased with where we’d left him. It was time to let go and give somebody else a shot.”
Despite the WONKA’s strong start, it might struggle to continue to succeed as the holiday competition heats up. The upcoming Christmastime releases slated before the turn of the year include Illumination’s MIGRATION, Warner Bros.’s musical THE COLOR PURPLE and DC’s AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM.
Movieguide® previously reported on WONKA:
As the first trailer for the upcoming WONKA movie releases, director Paul King wants audiences to get excited for his whimsical, family-fun adventure.
“I think it captures the spirit [of the movie] really well,” King told Rolling Stone about the trailer. “I love it. I was delighted with it. It feels fun and colorful and funny and Christmas-y, and it’s got great music. It’s very Hollywood, which was funny for me. I very much like the heavenly choir [sound] when it says, ‘From the director of PADDINGTON.’ That’s probably the most embarrassing moment of my life to date. I didn’t ask for that! They just did it.”
While the trailer – and movie – bring Wonka to a new setting, King was not looking to reinvent the character. His goal was to capture the essence of the classical Gene Wilder rendition, but with a younger Wonka as he first starts his chocolateiring business.
“I thought, ‘Oh, that could be a fun place for Willy Wonka to turn up and be chaotic and messy and brightly colored and modern and turbocharge a new era,” King said. “Like its predecessor, it embraces whimsy and magic.”
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