Jonathan Mendelsohn
Hugh Grant is taking on maybe one of the most challenging roles of his entire career: an Oompa Loompa. At CinemaCon 2023, the first footage of Wonka was unveiled. The upcoming film prequel stars Timothée Chalamet as the beloved character, Willy Wonka.
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The CinemaCon audience was treated to a teaser trailer for the film, which showcased Grant as one of Wonka’s little orange pals. After the trailer played, Chalamet said “I think it’s the first time people saw Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa. It was a trip. Hugh is one of our greats … it was a dream to work with him.”
First Footage of ‘Wonka’
The footage that debuted at CinemaCon featured the scene when Wonka first meets the Oompa Loompa played by Grant. In the footage, Wonka says to the Oompa Loompa, “You’re the funny little man who’s been following me.” Grant’s Oompa Loompa is not pleased by Wonka’s exclamation and shouts, “How dare you! I will have you know that I am a perfectly respectable size for an Oompa Loompa.”
The trailer, which has not yet surfaced online, features Chalamet facing off against the chocolate cartel. In addition to showcasing Chalamet and Grant, the trailer features actress Calah Lane, who plays a character who accompanies Wonka on his journey.
Back in October 2022, Chalamet spoke to Vogue UK about the impact the role of Wonka has had on him, saying, “I hate to say it, but the dream as an artist is to throw whatever the f— you want at the wall, you know? And I guess what I’m realizing is that one’s personal life, one’s adult life, can be quite boring and the artist’s life can still be extraordinary.”
In addition to Chalamet, Grant, and Lane, Wonka stars Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Jim Carter, Matt Lucas, and Sally Hawkins. Wonka, which is described as a musical fantasy film, is currently set to be released in theaters on December 15, 2023.
