Timothée Chalamet understands worries Wonka could be a "cynical money grab" but one thing immediately changed his mind
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Timothée Chalamet understands the skepticism around remakes – but he assures fans of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that his new prequel movieWonkais a story worth telling.
“Like many people, when there are remakes, I feel very protective over the original character and versions you love,” Chalamet tells GamesRadar+ when we sit down with him and Wonka co-star Calah Lane at a central London hotel.
Although hisviral high school musical videosmay suggest otherwise, Chalamet admits that he wasn’t actively looking for an all-singing, all-dancing role before Wonka came along. “I love musical theatre and I love song and dance,” he says. “And I love old Fred Astaire movies and the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. I didn’t think I’d get a chance to do it, not like this. But Paul King is one of these directors that you don’t say no to.”
For more on Wonka, check out our interviews with the movie’svillain Olivia Colmananddirector Paul King, and keep your eyes peeled for more chats with the cast on theInside Total Film podcastlater in the week.
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I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.
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