Timothée Chalamet Dazzled Fans In Toronto & Revealed What Makes His Willy Wonka Special
Timothée Chalamet touched down in Toronto Wednesday for a fan screening of Wonka at Yorkdale Mall, and it was pretty hard to miss the moment when he arrived. All you had to do was follow the excited screams.
Hundreds of people packed into the fan zone around the red carpet just to catch a glimpse of Chalamet as he arrived at Cineplex for the screening. One group told Narcity they'd been waiting four hours for him to arrive; another group of friends said they'd been waiting eight hours.
Chants of "Tim-o-thee! Tim-o-thee!" and "Mua'Dib! Mua'Dib!" rang out from the crowd, the latter being a reference to his role as Paul Atreides in Dune.
Dune: Part Two hits theatres in March but Chalamet was in town to promote Wonka, the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory prequel featuring a younger version of the magical chocolate maker.
Narcity got a chance to chat with Chalamet on the red carpet and find out how he wants his Wonka to stand out, given that Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp have already played older versions of the character.
"The story was different," Chalamet told Narcity. "So it took the pressure off. This isn't the story of the crazed Willy Wonka at the end of his rope, giving away his factory. It's the story of a young Willy Wonka full of ambition, kind of naive and starting anew."
Timothee Chalamet in Toronto for 'Wonka'
Despite the Chalamania, the 27-year-old actor was cool, friendly and relaxed as he fist-bumped his way down the red carpet. He also stopped for a few selfies and signed autographs along the way, before stepping into the nearby Cineplex to introduce his film to the assembled fans.
Wonka is directed by Paul King, the man behind the beloved Paddington 2 film, and it features a more bright-eyed, optimistic take on the young Wonka as he teams up with an Oompa Loompa (Hugh Grant) to take down a candy cartel.
Fans of the 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory might remember that crazed moment when Gene Wilder's Wonka takes his child visitors into a trippy tunnel of terror, where he seems to relish their fear. That's not the case in this new film, in which Chalamet's Wonka is a much more hopeful figure.
The original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory featured a few songs but Wonka is much more musical, with Chalamet himself singing and dancing for a whopping seven different numbers.
Chalamet's YouTube history goes back to his childhood of modifying Xbox controllers and playing "Timmy Tim" the rapper on stage. However, director Paul King says it was Chalamet's awesome high school musical performances that landed him the Wonka role without an audition.
"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," King told Rolling Stone. "So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well.”
Narcity asked Chalamet about his impressive singing in the film, but he simply smiled and said that's "your opinion."
The actor also shared his favourite Halloween candy, which "is different from favourite candy, period."
The answer? "Jolly Rancher," he said. "Green Apple Jolly Rancher."
Chalamet also stopped in to visit fans at Wonka's Sweet Escape, a pop-up immersive experience that you can visit at Yorkdale Mall until January 2. It's a stunning activation featuring a human-sized chocolate bar and a cotton candy tree, among many other fantastical elements.
@miranabulsi Wonka’s Sweet Escape at @Yorkdale Mall is open to the public till January 2 and you can get all these really cool pictures at the pop-up @Yorkdalestyle @Warner Bros Pictures #warnerbrosca #warnerbros #wonka #willywonka #yorkdalemall #yorkdaletoronto #wonkamovie
Wonka stars Timothée Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key, Calah Lane, Olivia Coleman and many others.
Wonka opens exclusively in theatres on December 15, and if you're eager for more Chalamet you can catch him when Dune: Part Two opens on March 15, 2024.
Wonka's Sweet Escape in Yorkdale Mall.
Wonka's Sweet Escape in Yorkdale Mall.
