I hope you’re ready for a world of pure imagination because Wonka opens in theaters this weekend. Be sure to pack your candy cane oars for the chocolate river!
Directed by Paul King, this new musical fantasy family movie casts Timothée Chalamet as the new Willy Wonka, the famous fictional chocolate factory owner from Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But while we all know the story of Charlie Bucket and the winning golden ticket, the 2023 Wonka movie details the origins of this charming, chocolate-loving man.
In addition to Chalamet in the lead role, Wonka also stars Hugh Grant as Lofty the Oompa-Loompa; Calah Lane as Noodle, Willy’s assistant; Keegan-Michael Key as the Chief-of-Police; Sally Hawkins as Willy Wonka’s mother; Olivia Colman as Mrs. Scrubbit; and more. Warner Bros. is hoping the movie will make a chocolate-y splash at the box office this holiday season, but if you’d rather stick with what you know, here’s how to watch the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movies at home.
There are a total of four movies based on Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, including the one currently playing in theaters right now. You’ll have to go to the movie theater if you want to see Timothée Chalamet in Wonka, but you can stream the other three Willy Wonkas from the comfort of your home.
Sorry, Timmy, but Gene Wilder will always be the real Willy Wonka. This first and best adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel, directed by Mel Stuart with a screenplay by Dahl himself, has enchanted and traumatized children across generations. Go ahead and ask anyone in your life before the year 2000: They will feel some type of way about the blueberry scene. But what really makes this movie so beloved is Wilder’s charming, mischievous, and very slightly menacing performance as the infamously quirky chocolate factory owner. You can stream this on Max, free with a subscription, on Hulu Live TV or Sling with a subscription, or you can rent or buy it on digital platforms like Amazon Prime.
This 2005 remake cast Johnny Depp as a far-less-charming version of Wonka. Quirky Prince of Darkness Tim Burton was the director, while John August wrote the screenplay. In true Tim Burton form, the movie took on a darker tone than the first. But even though the sets were gorgeous, Depp’s performance as Willy Wonka just couldn’t capture audiences the way Wilder had.
This isn’t really a movie, but we might as well include it: There was a direct-to-video animated Tom and Jerry version of Willy Wonka released in 2017 on digital and DVD. It’s literally just the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with Tom and Jerry tagging along. If you want to watch that, you can stream it on Amazon with the Boomerang add-on, or you can buy or rent a digital copy of the film.
