Keegan-Michael Key Was Blown Away By Timothée Chalamet's Performance In Wonka

Based on characters from the children's novel by Roald Dahl, "Wonka" will explore a different side of the iconic candy maker Willy Wonka. The upcoming film, which will star Timothée Chalamet as the titular character, is a prequel that will follow Wonka before the events of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (via Deadline). The chocolate maven was previously played by Gene Wilder in the 1971 film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," and by Johnny Depp in the 2005 adaptation, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

The name Willy Wonka conjures up images of flowing chocolate rivers, delightfully off-putting experiments, and, of course, a lyrical magnetism that makes him seem larger than life. Thankfully, the "Dune star is going to be showing off his singing skills in this musical. Chalamet will be singing an eye-popping number of songs in the film, which will feature tunes by Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy (via Belfast Telegraph). People reports that the Paul King-directed film will also feature the talents of Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, and Keegan-Michael Key. The eccentric and mysterious candy connoisseur can't be easy to embody, but co-star Key is convinced that Chalamet's performance will have audiences falling in love with the character all over again. 

According to Variety, glimpses of the movie shown at the 2022 CinemaCon presentation indicate that the narrative will follow an outcast Wonka as tries to spread joy through his love of sweets. It's a new approach to the character, who has been shown in previous iterations to be innovative and child-like, but also arrogant and despotic. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Key couldn't help but give Chalamet props for his thoughtful portrayal of the iconic character.

"There's this wonderful effortlessness about how he plays Wonka, not to mention the fact that there's this hopeful quality that he gives the character, a kind of indomitable quality that he'll never quit, he's always up for the next thing. He's like, 'OK, that didn't work out? We'll do this and we'll try something else,'" Key told the outlet about his co-star. "And Timothée Chalamet, what can I say? Sacrébleu! This kid, you know, he drips charisma and a wonderful confidence. He's just a really delicious artist."

Chalamet has proven his ability to evoke a wide range of characteristics with performances in movies like "Lady Bird," "Call Me by Your Name," and "The French Dispatch," a talent that's undoubtedly come in handy during his tenure as Wonka. With the addition of Key's shining endorsement, viewers are certainly in for a treat.

"Wonka" is scheduled for release on December 15, 2023.