Early reactions are in for Timothée Chalamet's Wonka and critics are raving after its London premiere.

Variety writer and film critic Courtney Howard posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the film is “a winning confection, filled with perfect amounts of charm, whimsy & poignancy, powered by pure imagination & bright, nimble musical numbers. Timothée Chalamet is a charisma factory. His full committal is intoxicating. Hugh Grant in exceptional IDGAF mode.”

Wonka: Critics weigh in

Germain Lussier, a Gizmodo senior reporter, said Chalamet is reason enough to see the film. He posted, “He’s infinitely charming & a blast to watch.”

However, “The movie around him isn’t as good but it’s enjoyable. The story & tone fight against each other leaving it a bit muddled. And yet it’s filled with joy & the songs are delightful,” he added.

This Week Media's editor-in-chief Eze Baum, “Pleasantly surprised by #Wonka — a breezy, family-friendly movie that’ll play well over the holidays. Chalamet is charming enough to excuse some of the over-the-top characters surrounding him, and any movie that opens with the melody of “Pure Imagination” knows what it’s doing.”

Chalamet plays the younger version of chocolatier Willy Wonka before he opens his world-famous chocolate factory. The movie follows Wonka's struggle in opening his first shop.

The film, directed by Paddington filmmaker Paul King, also includes Calah Lane (Noodle), Keegan-Michael Key (chief of police), Matt Lucas (Prodnose), Sally Hawkins (Wonka's mother), Rowan Atkinson (Father Julius), Olivia Colman (Mrs. Scrubbit) and Hugh Grant (Oompa-Loompa).

Chalamet's road to Wonka

Timothée Chalamet, Willy Wonka

Chalamet was King's first choice to play Wonka, and he didn't even have to audition. King told Rolling Stone that he was a Chalamet stan and knew the actor could sing and dance to play Wonka.

“It was a straight offer because he’s great and he was the only person in my mind who could do it,” King told Variety.

“But because he’s Timothée Chalamet and his life is so absurd, his high school musical performances are on YouTube and have hundreds of thousands of views. So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well,” he added.

When asked by Good Morning America about how King chose him because of the videos, Chalamet responded, “In his words — that got a little twisted — because he said it was mostly the films that I worked on.”

“But! Because my digital footprint will haunt me forever, he saw these cringe, embarrassing videos from my youth that made him think that this guy has no shame,” he continued.

Chalamet may want to thank his digital footprint now because that may have ultimately convinced King to cast him in the role.

“I knew that was in his arsenal, but I didn’t know how good he was,” King said.

He added, “When I spoke to him he was quite keen. He’d done tap dancing in high school and he was like, ‘I’d quite like to show people I can do that.'”

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A video was posted on X of Chalamet giving a long-time fan one of the most coveted giveaways at the premiere: an XBox with a Willy Wonka box and his signature.

Even iconic video game designer Hideo Kojima got in on the fun by posting the swag on X with the caption, “Director Paul King gave me a WONKA themed XBOX. Thank you very much.”


Chalamet is on the road to cementing his movie star status with the movie. Several critics have singled out his performance and with one saying his Wonka “channels the energy of Gene [Wilder] without doing an impression.” Wilder played Wonka in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.


Others have begun calling the movie a “Christmas classic.” The musical was also deemed to give music earworms.

Wonka will open in UK theaters on Dec. 8. It will be released in the US on Dec. 15.