Timothée Chalamet quickly nipped over to Japan over the weekend to promote his upcoming musical fantasy film Wonka, and clearly got quite emotional over it.
At the film's premiere in Tokyo on Monday, November 20, the 27-year-old American-French actor paid tribute to the Willy Wonka before him, Johnny Depp.
He noted that the role he'd nabbed in the Paul King directorial venture was a "dream," telling the crowd at the event, according to Variety: "Paul King wrote a beautiful script here, about a young Willy Wonka who follows his dreams." Watch the trailer for the upcoming remake below...
He continued: "If you would've told me when I was 12 years old, [or] when I was ten years old watching the Johnny Depp version of Willy Wonka, that I'd get to be here in Tokyo promoting this movie as Willy Wonka, standing next to Hugh Grant, I would've told you you were lying. So, I guess like the movie, follow your dreams."
A clip shared on social media garnered reactions from fans like: "Dreams do come true Timothée," and: "I can't wait to watch this movie."
However, a few others were divided on the take and opined that the original Willy Wonka was Gene Wilder's 1971 take on the character, sharing comments like: "Did his parents not raise him right? Gene Wilder please. The only Wonka!" and: "There's only one Willy Wonka and that was Gene Wilder! His charisma is unmatched!" although a third opined: "For those talking about Gene Wilder, let me remind you this is a WB movie and Depp's version was also a WB movie."
The 2023 Warner Bros. production is the third time that Roald Dahl's beloved 1964 novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is being brought to the big screen. Both prior versions of the film stick to the general plot of the novel, in which Charlie Bucket and four other children win golden tickets to the mysterious Wonka's chocolate factory and hijinks ensue.
The 1971 Gene Wilder version quickly became a cult classic despite its weak box office performance, inspiring viral memes galore and garnering a nomination for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
After years of production hell, Warner Bros. finally released the first modern retelling of the book in 2005, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, his usual leading man.
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The film received positive reviews and also garnered an Oscar nod (for Best Costume Design) but, most importantly, emerged a huge commercial success, grossing nearly $500 million worldwide and emerging as the year's eighth highest-grossing film.
The 2023 version of the film, slated for a December 15 release, is a spiritual prequel to the book, telling the origin story of Wonka as an eccentric but imaginative chocolatier in a small town before becoming a household name.
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Alongside the Call Me By Your Name actor, others appearing in the film are Hugh, Sally Hawkins, Matt Lucas, Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson, and newcomer Calah Lane.
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