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Timothee Chalamet to Play Willy Wonka in Origin Story Movie: Best Fan Reactions

A world of pure imagination! Timothée Chalamet just landed the role of Willy Wonka in a new movie about the fictional chocolatier — and the internet has a lot of thoughts about it.

Related: Timothee Chalamet’s Complete Dating History

The Oscar nominee, 25, is set to play the classic Roald Dahl character in the origin story Wonka, Deadline reported on Monday, May 24. The film will focus on Wonka’s life before he opened his famous chocolate factory, and according to Deadline, will “mark the first time Chalamet gets to show off his singing and dancing skills,” as there will be “several” musical numbers involved.

Internet reactions to the news were mixed, with many Twitter users wondering why filmmakers wanted to revisit the role originated by Gene Wilder in 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Timothee Chalamet Fans React Willy Wonka Casting News
Timothée Chalamet and Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. Shutterstock; Wolper/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock

“Who watched Willy Wonka and thought, ‘I need an origin story for this weird bitch,'” quipped one social media user. “I will simply choose to not process the Timothée as Willy Wonka news,” added another.

Others pointed out that the origin of Wonka, partially explored in the 2005 remake Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp, could include some unsavory details from the book that were largely left out of the Wilder version.

“Excited to learn about the labor dispute that led Wonka to fire his employees and enslave the Oompa Loompas,” joked writer Scott Tobias.

Still, plenty of Chalamet superfans were thrilled by the new movie simply because it involves their hero. “I … I want to see Timothée Chalamet sing and dance as Willy Wonka,” wrote one, attaching a GIF of The Office‘s Michael Scott saying, “Sue me.”

Related: Timothee Chalamet’s Best, Most Buzzed-About Red Carpet Looks of All Time

The Call Me By Your Name actor has a busy year ahead of him. In October, he’ll appear as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s star-studded remake of Dune, which features Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson.

“I felt like Timothée was deeply seduced — or maybe not seduced, but I just felt it was like a kid being with older brothers,” Villeneuve, 53, told GQ of the actor in October 2020. “He was younger, he was the little one on set, and everybody loved him. There’s a scene in the movie where Timothée runs into the arms of Jason Momoa, and Jason grabs him like a puppy and lifts him into the air like he was a feather. And that’s real! They really loved each other. It was very beautiful to see this young man being influenced by these people he admires.”

He also has a role in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, which is due out sometime this year after the coronavirus pandemic delayed its original release. That movie has a massively stacked cast as well, with Chalamet starring alongside Adrien Brody, Frances McDormand, Benicio Del Toro, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson.

Related: Netflix's Summer Slate: 1st Look at 'Kissing Booth 3,' 'He's All That,' More

Finally, he’ll grace screens in Netflix’s upcoming movie Don’t Look Up, directed by Adam McKay and costarring Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Chris Evans, Jonah Hill and Ariana Grande.

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