Wonka Director Praises Timothée Chalamet's Singing Voice
Paul King compares Chalamet's performance to Bing Crosby.
Wonka will arrive in theaters in just a matter of months, taking the lore of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka into a new territory. The film's marketing has already highlighted the unique energy that Timothée Chalamet will be bringing to the titular role, including several song and dance numbers. In a new interview with Total Film magazine (via Variety), Wonka director Paul King praised Chalamet's singing voice, which apparently balances between the different tones required for the film.
"[Chalamet]'s got a beautiful singing voice," King said. "The person it reminded me of was Bing Crosby. There's quite a range, because it does go from a couple of bigger, showstopper-y sort of things, to moments of real, pure emotion and he can do it all… I'm going to sound like a crazed fan."
"The Oompa Loompas sing a lot in the book, and Roald Dahl always uses poetry," King said as to whether or not Wonka is a musical. "But I didn't want it to just become a musical where people are singing dialogue to each other for no discernible reason. I felt like it was more like a movie with songs than a musical."
Why Did Timothee Chalamet Sign on For Wonka?
As Chalamet explained in an interview with Vogue earlier this year, part of what appealed to him about Wonka was its opportunity to have a genuinely earnest storyline, which he hopes will combat some of the nihilism lurking within the real world.
"To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy. That's why I was drawn to it," Chalamet explained. "In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there's so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate."
Who Is in the Cast of Wonka?
Wonka will also feature performances from Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown), Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean, Love, Actually), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Keegan Michael Key (The Prom, Schmigadoon!), Mathew Baynton (Ghosts), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Rich Fulcher (Marriage Story), Paterson Joseph (Noughts + Crosses), Calah Lane (The Day Shall Come), Colin O'Brien (The Mothership), Natasha Rothwell (White Lotus), Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education), and Ellie White (The Other One).
King is also reuniting with several of his Paddington stars for the new film including Tom Davis, Simon Farnaby, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, and Matt Lucas. David Heyman (Harry Potter, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) is producing with Luke Kelly (The Witches) and Alexandra Derbyshire (Jurassic World: Dominion).
Are you looking forward to Wonka? How do you feel about these new quotes about Chalamet's singing voice? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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