Timothée Chalamet’s performance as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films has solidified his status as a major sci-fi star, but one of his biggest movies to date surprisingly isn’t in the genre. In 2023, the actor, who also appeared in Christopher Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi film Interstellar, stepped into the musical fantasy genre in a blockbuster movie that was far better than expected, and it just joined Netflix’s streaming lineup.
As of November 1st, Wonka is available to stream on Netflix. Directed by Paul King, the movie stars Chalamet in a musical fantasy about the origin of Willy Wonka, the character first brought to life in Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The movie serves as a prequel to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and chronicles the fictional chocolatier after he arrives in Europe with little money and big dreams to build a chocolate empire. Hugh Grant, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, and Matt Lucas also star.
Wonka Is Unexpectedly Good
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When Wonka was first announced to be in the works, it was viewed as nothing more than a cynical cash grab and a completely unnecessary extension of an already beloved film, but King managed to turn Wonka into something unexpectedly magical, charming, and genuinely enjoyable. The movie offers a fresh and imaginative origin story to the beloved character that pays homage to the Gene Wilder original while also standing on its own. The wholesome and feel-good story is brought to life through whimsical and colorful visuals, great musical numbers, and a stellar performance from Chalamet, who perfectly captures the energetic and optimistic young Willy Wonka in the early years of his career.
This all added up to a film that is now one of Chalamet’s biggest and most successful movies yet, both in terms of commercial and critical success. Wonka pulled in over $634 million worldwide to become the third highest-grossing movie in Chalamet’s career after Interstellar ($641 million), the 2014 sci-fi epic he had a supporting role in, and Dune: Part Two ($715 million). The movie also holds “Certified Fresh” and “Verified Hot” distinctions on Rotten Tomatoes with an 82% critic score and 90% audience rating. With those scores, Wonka is one of Chalamet’s top 10 highest-rated films, even tying with Dune in audience rating.
What’s New on Netflix?
Wonka is one of several new films now streaming on Netflix as part of the streamer’s initial wave of new arrivals this month. Subscribers looking for more family-friendly movies can now also stream movies like The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Paddington 2. Netflix’s other November 1st additions include titles like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, the complete Back to the Future trilogy, Crazy Rich Asians, and Elvis, as well as Christmas movies such as A Very Vintage Christmas, Dear Santa, and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas.
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