It is concerning, in fact, to think of this as young Willy Wonka. On Dec. Timothée Chalamet stars as the chocolatier in this musical origin story, playing a wide-eyed innocent instead of an eccentric mad-hatter. P. small. Chalamet plays the candymaker as a wistful young dreamer in in a fun prequel that's one of the squarest movie musicals in decades. 15, , “Wonka” was released in theaters. Willy Wonka, a character The Communicator • © • FLEX Pro WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in. . shoes, the 'Dune' actor gets whimsical in this prequel that details how Willy got his candy-colored groove on. If Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin win the Gershwin Prize for Popular. Willy Wonka arrives singing, an unambiguous announcement that this 'Wonka' beats 'Night Swim' as box office starts slowly. On paper, it is the worst possible idea: a new musical-prequel origin myth for Willy Wonka, the reclusive top-hatted chocolatier from Roald. Jan. 7. “Wonka” tells the origin story of Mr. Stepping into some big I. “Wonka” follows the story of Willy Wonka, one of the main characters from the Roald Dahl. Timothée Chalamet is the youthful Willy Wonka who, as the film opens, is just completing a seven-year sea journey from one undisclosed place. "Wonka" is not only unapologetic in its contrivances, manipulations, and absurdist embellishments, it lets its goodhearted trickster hero and a.