Outside the theater that premiered Paul King's "Wonka" on Dec. 3 in Beijing, there were chocolate-themed decorations galore, immersing visitors and audiences in a fantastic, sweet, and playful world reminiscent of the enchanting creations of Willy Wonka himself.

Chocolate-themed decorations create a fantastic and immersive atmosphere at the "Wonka" premiere in Beijing, Dec. 3, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

The film, released in China on Dec. 8, tells the story of a young chocolatier who, armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time. It stars Timothée Chalamet in the title role, affectionately known as "Sweet Tea" in China, along with an ensemble cast of Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, and Olivia Colman, as well as iconic veteran actors Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Grant.

Based on the extraordinary but enigmatic character at the heart of Roald Dahl's 1964 "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," one of the best-selling children's books of all time, this vivid fairytale and inventive big-screen spectacle introduces audiences to a young Willy Wonka as he embarks on a journey to become the world's greatest inventor, magician, and chocolate-maker. With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers. 

"I think he's a great optimist. Our story is set 25 years before the events of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' So he's a young man taking his first steps into the world, and he hopes for great things. The world is not the kind of gracious, warm, welcoming place that we might hope it is, but Willy Wonka sort of won't take 'no' for an answer and sets out to change things just as they should be," director Paul King said.

A still image from "Wonka." [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

Chalamet, the wildly popular Oscar-nominated actor best known for his roles in "Call Me By Your Name" and "Dune," said he had been enamored by King's work prior, particularly the "Paddington" films. He added that he was daunted by the idea of playing Willy Wonka because he's a beloved character. "But within five pages of reading the script, I saw how clever Paul's take was on the story of how Willy became the Wonka we know."

King cast Timothée Chalamet based on his performance in the school project rap video titled "Lil Timmy Tim: Statistics (Ms. Lawton)" from 2013. Later, King was in awe of Chalamet's talent and praised his exceptional performance: "It feels like he captures the essence of that sort of otherworldly magical character completely perfectly. [He has] this combination of strange and slightly unknowable energy, and sincerity and humor and eccentricity. He ultimately became a true creative partner in the movie."

Development of the film began after Warner Bros. Pictures, which had previously released its own adaptation, Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," starring Johnny Depp in 2005, acquired the rights to the titular character in October 2016. Principal photography commenced in the United Kingdom in September 2021.

The film also pays tribute to Mel Stuart's "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," starring Gene Wilder in 1971. This includes the design of the Oompa Loompas and renditions of the songs "Pure Imagination" and the Oompa Loompa song from the 1971 film. 

Additionally, Neil Hannon, frontman of the Northern Irish chamber pop band The Divine Comedy, wrote six original songs for the film, while Christopher Gatelli ("Hail, Caesar!") oversaw the choreography. Chalamet, who grew up surrounded by dancers, including his sister, mother, and grandmother, had prior experience in musicals at his performing arts high school. However, he underwent months of training specifically for the large-scale dance numbers in "Wonka."

Chalamet believes "Wonka" is a dose of light and joy for a world that is in desperate need of it. "As a young actor, the things that were most attractive to me are the things that are the most emotionally challenging," he said.

The Chinese poster for "Wonka." [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

"When I read 'Wonka,' I did feel the classic thespian challenge – the singing, the dancing. But when I think about the main theme of this movie, when I think about its raison d'etre – it is to bring joy into the world. It's to encourage dreaming; to encourage the dreamers to continue dreaming; to encourage declaring yourself as you are, who you are, without question. It's to declare that to share in kindness and enthusiasm is to paint a way forward, not only for yourself but for those around you. It's about community, and it's about community surviving in spaces of erosion. It's about light and love. I'm so proud to have been a part of that," the actor said. 

King pointed out the prequel is really about family and "the sort of lasting impression that our families, our birth families, leave with us, and the kind of families we make along the way. And you know, Willy comes to a town where he knows no one and manages to assemble a group of friends who do something quite extraordinary, and I think it's a film best enjoyed with the family, and I hope it brings people closer together."

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