The brand new Wonka movie is finally in UK cinemas

Hugh Grant's rendition of the 'Oompa Loompa' song is unmatched 🎥 🍫

Author: Georgie HollandPublished 8th Dec 2023

It's been a long time coming, but we can finally witness Timothée Chalamet star as the world renowned chocolate and confectionary connoisseur, Willy Wonka, in the brand new musical prequel - Wonka! With a stellar cast, TWO exciting trailers, movie posters and lots of teases, the movie has finally arrived in UK cinemas!

But how much do you know about the Willy Wonka prequel? From new revelations for the star-studded cast, to where it was filmed and what it will be about, we've gathered together pretty much everything we know about the new Wonka film...

When is Wonka out?

Although it's not due to be released in America until 15th December, Wonka was released here in the UK on Friday 8th December!

What is Wonka about?

The movie details the years before Wonka opened his world-renowned chocolate factory, exploring a young Mr Wonka's journey to becoming an illustrious candymaker. Introducing audiences to a young Willy Wonka, the irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle shows young Willy chock-full of ideas - determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time.

Within the film, we will reportedly be gifted with original songs, as well as the odd dance number here and there from Timothée himself!

Following extended footage being played at CinemaCon, in Las Vegas, on 25th April 2023, a reporter named Germain Lussier took to Twitter to reveal the extended play showed Wonka: 'originating all of his special chocolates against the will of an evil chocolate cartel. Ends with HUGH GRANT as an Oompa Loompa, the first one Willy meets. He sings for him. Looks very joyous and bright and fun.'

Who wrote the screenplay?

Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2) & Paul King wrote the screenplay, based on a story by King and characters created by Roald Dahl.

Is there a Wonka trailer?

Yes - in fact, there are two! Released on 11th July 2023, and then 12th October, the Wonka trailers show the highlights of the film, including Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa!

Watch the first trailer here:

Watch the second trailer here:

Who is in the Wonka cast?

First announced to appear in the film was award-winning actor Timothée Chalamet. In October 2021, the 27-year-old even gave us a sneak peak of his character, Willy Wonka, captioning the images: 'The suspense is terrible, I hope it will last ... 🏭WONKA🍫'.

There are some pretty huge names who appear in the Wonka film, with potentially the most surprising being none other than Love Actually and Bridget Jones legend Hugh Grant! In what may come as a shock, Hugh features as an Ooompa Loompa, with the second trailer offering a snippet of him singing the iconic 'Oompa Loompa' song!

With Timothée appearing on stage at CinemaCon in April 2023, he revealed that seeing Hugh in character was a "trip".

Other stars who appear in the film include The Crown's Olivia Coleman, Downton Abbey's Jim Carter and none other that Mr Bean himself, Rowan Atkinson.

Check out some of the Wonka cast:

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet will be taking on the lead role of Mr Willy Wonka himself, with the actor teasing fans with his what his character will look like back in October. Hint, it includes a purple velvet coat, a top hat and a cane...

Olivia Colman

Back in September it was announced that Olivia Colman would be joining the cast, although her role in the film was not confirmed at the time. We can now confirm, however, that her character is called Mrs. Scrubitt.

Hugh Grant

It was revealed in April 2023 that Hugh was set to appear in the film as an Oompa Loompa! The Wonka trailer showed Hugh's character trapped in a tiny glass jar, with Wonka later hiring him to run his factory. The second trailer for the film then showed off Hugh's singing skills, as we hear a snippet of him singing the iconic 'Oompa Loompa' song.

Rowan Atkinson

Announced alongside Olivia was also none other than Mr Bean and Johnny English legend Rowan Atkinson. Similar to Olivia, Rowan's role in the film was not confirmed at the time of his casting announcement, however we now know that he will be playing the role of Father Julius.

Jim Carter

As if things couldn't get any better, Downton Abbey's Jim Carter will also be appearing in the film. He will be playing the role of Abacus Crunch.

Rakhee Thakrar

Sex Education's Rakhee Thakrar is also featuring in the upcoming film. After the actress confirmed that she will not be featured in Sex Education season four, for reasons she 'can't really talk about', fans were convinced she was working on the Wonka film! And to our joy, she was - with the movie posters revealing she's playing the role of Lottie Bell.

Matt Lucas

Little Britain star and Bake Off host Matt Lucas will also be appearing in the upcoming Wonka movie. The TV star was spotted on set donning a long brown jacket, a bowler hat, round glasses and a moustache - with his role later confirmed in the movie posters as Prodnose.

Paterson Joseph

BBC's Vigil star Paterson Joseph also joins the stellar line-up. Paterson was spotted alongside Matt Lucas as the pair filmed a scene for the upcoming film, also dressed in a trench coat and bowler hat. His character in the film is called Slugworth.

Tom Davis

Tom Davis also joins the line-up, with the actor/comedian being spotted filming scenes alongside Timothée (AKA Mr Wonka) himself! He will be playing the role of Bleacher.

Keegan-Michael Key

Known for his work in Comedy Central's Key & Peele and in USA Network's Playing House, Keegan-Michael Key is an award-winning actor who is also set to appear in the upcoming Wonka film. Keegan-Michael will be playing the Chief of Police in the film, and we get a closer look at him in action in the second trailer.

Mathew Baynton

English actor, writer, comedian and musician Mathew Baynton will also be appearing in the film, playing the role of Fickelgruber. Known for his appearance in shows such as Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts, we cannot wait to see him in the upcoming Wonka movie!

Simon Farnaby

Actor, comedian and Horrible Histories legend Simon Farnaby co-wrote the screenplay, and is also thought to be making an appearance in the film.

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Adding to the incredible cast list is award-winning actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith MBE. Known for his impressive work in film, television and theatre, we can't wait to see Kobna in action!

Wonka movie posters:

Warner Bros. Pictures shared 14 movie posters on 12th October 2023 - showing off the stellar cast, who they will be portraying and even introduced brand new characters.

Although some of the characters had already been revealed in the first trailer, the posters offered up brand new sneak peeks at cast members such as Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson and Rakhee Thakrar.

What about the music?

As if things couldn't get any more exciting, The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon is providing the tunes for the prequel. According to the official announcement for the film, it'll explore the 'vivid, mythical beginnings of the imaginative young inventor before he becomes the renowned scrumdiddlyumptious Mozart of chocolate.'

Is Wonka in production now?

Work reportedly began back in September 2021, with fans spotting Timothée out and about in various filming locations.

Where was Wonka filmed?

Filming for the Wonka film took place in Lyme Regis, Bath. Production was also under way at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden - a studio complex in Watford, North West London. Fans even spotted leading actor Timothée donning the iconic purple velvet jacket.

Timothée was also seen filming for the upcoming movie at Oxford University! Co-stars Calah Lane and Hugh Grant were also spotted, reportedly.

And from what we can see so far, Timothée even has classic probs such as Wonka's cane, top hat and signature velvet jacket.

When was Wonka announced?

Warner Bros. first announced that they would be reopening the chocolate factory doors back in 2016. Since then, we discovered Paul King, who directed Paddington, has been signed on to direct the film.

In the following years, it was announced that Timothée Chalamet would be taking on the leading role, with other cast members such as Sex Education's Rakhee Thakrar, Vigil's Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Tom Davis, Simon Farnaby and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith joining the bill.

Take a look through biggest films of 2023 and their release dates:

Magic Mike's Last Dance

Release date: 10th February


Magic Mike returned in 2023! The latest movie saw Channing Tatum reprise his role of, well, Magic Mike, alongside Salma Hayek. Magic Mike's Last Dance followed on from 2015's Magic Mike XXL, and was the third film in the franchise.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Release date: 17th February


Originally set for a 2022 release, the newest Ant-Man film was pushed back to 2023, and officially graced us in February! The action-packed Marvel Studios film welcomed back Paul Rudd in his famous role of Ant-Man in the Marvel Universe.

Scream VI

Release date: 10th March


A new Scream film was also released in 2023. Scream VI stars Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega and Hayden Panettiere - and Courteney Cox reprised her role as Gale Weathers.

The Pope's Exorcist

Release date: 7th April


This supernatural horror follows Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, as he investigates a young boy's terrifying possession. Inspired by Gabriele Amorth's actual files, the plot follows the exorcist - played by none other than Russell Crowe, we might add - as he uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has kept hidden.

Peter Pan and Wendy

Release date: 28th April


Disney excited us all when they revealed some brand new titles coming in 2023, including a new Peter Pan film! The movie landed on Disney+ in April, and saw Jude Law take on the infamous role of Captain Hook.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Release date: 3rd May


Another Marvel film to add to the collection, Guardians of the Galaxy returned for its third volume, as the gang rallied to defend the universe - and one of their own. Chris Pratt yet again starred in the film, alongside co-stars such as Dave Bautista and Will Poulter.

The Little Mermaid live-action remake

Release date: 26th May


Disney's highly-anticipated live-action remake of The Little Mermaid swam into cinemas in May 2023, starring Halle Bailey as the famous Ariel. Other stars featuring in the film include Melissa McCarthy, as Ursula, Daveed Diggs, as Sebastian, and Awkwafina, as Scuttle.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Release date: 28th June


Indiana Jones returned! Yep, Harrison Ford reprised his role as Indy in the fifth film of the franchise, following on from following Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which was released way back in 2008!


With an original release date of 30th June, the UK and Ireland luckily saw the film released two days prior.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One

Release date: 14th July


Tom Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in the latest instalment in his Mission Impossible franchise. The film is action-packed, with Tom sharing details of 'greatest stunt in cinema history' in some behind-the-scenes clips!

Barbie

Release date: 21st July


The highly-anticipated Barbie film hit cinemas in July 2023, starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and plenty of other huge names, such as Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, Michael Cera and Sex Education's Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa.

Oppenheimer

Release date: 21st July


The Christopher Nolan movie chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who was pivotal in developing the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. The film had a huge cast including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh to name a few. Released on the same day as the Barbie movie, so was born the 'Barbenheimer' meme.

Haunted Mansion

Release date: 11th August


The much-loved film made its return in 2023, with Disney releasing a brand new version of their classic movie Haunted Mansion. Starring the likes of Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, LaKeith Stanfield, Dan Levy and Jared Leto, this re-vamp was seemingly scarier than the original, with the certificate being handed a 12A for moderate horror - a jump up from the original's PG certificate.

The Exorcist: Believer

Release date: 6th October


Marking 50-years since the release of the original film The Exorcist, a new chapter began in the form of The Exorcist: Believer. The film saw Ellen Burstyn reprises her iconic role as Chris MacNeil, for the first time since 1973. Not only that, but the reboot is part of a trilogy, with the follow-up film The Exorcist: Deceiver having a release date of 18th April 2025.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Release date: 17th November


Following the release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, and Mockingjay Part 2, the latest Hunger Games film was released in mid-November 2023. The fifth instalment in The Hunger Games film series, the 2023 movie is a dystopian film based on the prequel of the same name.

WONKA

Release date: 15th December


The highly-anticipated WONKA film was FINALLY with us in December 2023. The film, starring Timothée Chalamet as the master chocolatier, details the years before Wonka opened his world-renowned chocolate factory, exploring his journey to becoming an illustrious candymaker. With a totally star-studded cast, it's a staple in the 2023 film catalogue.

Ghostbusters (untitled sequel)

Release date: 20th December


A sequel to the epic 2020 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife closed the year off, with the movie being a follow-on from the iconic original film. The potential for the sequel was teased in the end credits of Afterlife, when it was revealed the next instalment will be set in the iconic firehouse in New York City. Nostalgic!

Wonka is available in UK cinemas now.

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