Harry Moore
Words by Harry Moore
Wonka
The early years of Roald Dahl’s whimsical chocolatier are brought to life in this sweet musical from “Paddington” director Paul King. Timothée Chalamet stars as Willy Wonka, a wide-eyed young man with a love for chocolate and a dream to share his delicious creations with the world. He, unfortunately, finds out that the sweets industry is run by a cabal of greedy and corrupt businessmen (played by Patterson Joseph, Matt Lucas and Matthew Baynton) known as the Chocolate Cartel who bribe the chief of police (Keegan Michael Key) to prevent any upcoming chocolatiers from growing their business. Willy soon finds himself in servitude to launderette owner Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and quickly forms a bond with the other misfortunate people forced to work there. Willy and his new friends devise a scheme to escape Mrs. Scrubbit and earn enough money to open their own chocolate shop.
King has earned a name for himself in spinning charming, family-friendly fantasies thanks to his widely acclaimed Paddington Bear movies, and his streak continues with “Wonka,” a wonderfully reimagined interpretation of the famous character, memorably played once by Gene Wilder and less memorably by Johnny Depp. Chalamet manages to break away from any preconceived notions of the character and presents his own, friendlier and markedly less traumatizing version of Willy Wonka. The film marks an impressive career milestone for Chalamet, as the young movie star continues to show his range with this impressive musical turn, revealing a lighter side that have been absent in some of his other projects. He also demonstrates that he is capable of leading a tent pole film without having a supporting cast of A-listers assisting him. That isn’t to diminish the work’s ensemble of quality character actors, all of whom understand the parts they were given and feel as if they had stepped directly out of one of Dahl’s pages. The musical numbers themselves are pretty hit-and-miss but enjoy a better average than the majority of other modern movie musicals, and they are all elaborately staged, choreographed, and shot by King and his team. The costumes and production designs are all delectably rendered and serve toward the storybook brought to life vision that is at the center of the film. With “Wonka,” King, Chalamet and the rest of the cast and crew have crafted a charming fantasy that can delight the whole family.
Coming Soon in 2024
With 2023 behind us, it’s time to take a look at what’s coming around the corner. Here are 10 of the most anticipated movies coming out in 2024.
Dune: Part Two
Release date: March 1
The second chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s telling of Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction epic follows Paul Atreidis (Timothée Chalamet) as he seeks revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Featuring show stopping action spectacles and a cast of exciting up-and-coming stars, such as Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler, “Dune: Part Two” promises to be the cinematic epic of the year.
Mickey 17
Release date: March 29
Bong Joon-Ho follows up his award-winning Parasite with his second English language outing “Mickey 17.” The original sci-fi stars Robert Pattinson as a disposable who is sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. But when he accidentally dies, he is regenerated in a new body with most of his memories intact. Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun and Toni Collette co-star in the film that is sure to be quite the head trip.
Civil War
Release date: April 26
The most ambitious production yet from indie film studio A24 depicts a divided and hostile America in the throes of a modern civil war. The thriller from writer/director Alex Garland is certain to be provocative and boasts an impressive ensemble cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Nick Offerman and Jesse Plemmons.
The Fall Guy
Release date: May 3
Ryan Gosling follows up his “Barbie” high with this action comedy from the director of “Bullet Train.” Based on the 1980s TV show starring Lee Majors, Gosling plays as a stuntman who is pulled into a grand conspiracy when the star of his latest movie goes missing. Emily Blunt, Stephanie Hsu and Aaron Taylor-Johnson round out the cast.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Release date: May 24
Director George Miller returns to his post-apocalyptic hellscape for the first time since his 2015 masterpiece “Mad Max: Fury Road” with the spinoff origin of that movie’s heroine Furiosa, played here by the always magnetic Anya Taylor-Joy. Chris Hemsworth joins the chaos as Miller’s explosively deranged imagination, lighting up the screen.
Inside Out 2
Release date: June 14
The sequel to 2015’s “Inside Out” sees Riley’s emotions having to deal with the arrival of Anxiety (Maya Hawke). Amy Poehler returns as Joy in Pixar’s big release of the year.
The Bikeriders
Release date: June 21
Pitched as “‘Goodfellas’ on motorbikes,” Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” follows the rise of a fictional motorcycle gang over the course of the tumultuous 1960s. Featuring an exciting cast that includes Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, the film will be amongst the most prominent adult dramas released this year.
Deadpool 3
Release date: July 26
Ryan Reynolds returns as the loud-mouthed killer, Deadpool, and brings Hugh Jackman out of retirement as Wolverine. The violent comedy is set to be the only Marvel film released in 2024 and should serve as something of an irreverent palette cleanser after the recent few entries in the series.
Gladiator 2
Release date: Nov. 22
Ridley Scott takes us back to ancient Rome for a sequel to his Oscar-winning epic. Paul Mescal stars as the adult Lucius, the nephew of Commodus who was played by Joaquin Phoenix in the original. Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal co-star in this sequel that has a lot to live up to.
Nosferatu
Release date: Dec. 25
Horror maestro Robert Eggers gives his take on the classic vampire tale. Starring Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult, “Nosferatu” will be a gothic, visual feast upon its arrival.
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