Wonka was one of the biggest wild cards of 2023. A prequel to the popular Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Timothée Chalamet feature wasn’t exactly on many people’s list of films to watch last year. In fact, the buzz for the movie only got worse when the trailers were released as it didn’t seem that the Oscar nominee was a right fit for the role. However, the review embargo was lifted weeks in advance and to the surprise of many, Wonka was highly praised by critics.
Not everyone in the mainstream listens to critics though. There are plenty of films that have been highly reviewed by critics and fans have rejected said movie. In a season that was light on blockbusters, Wonka was the only choice for filmgoers and it turns out that the feature is a huge hit with the audience. Despite its advertising deception, Wonka has become a surprise commercial and critical hit.
The Lack of Big Films In December
Hollywood went crazy releasing so many blockbusters during the Spring/Summer season. It’s a big reason why some of those films ultimately flopped, as the constant string of blockbusters exposed the similarities of those mainstream films these days. Originally, several big films were scheduled for release during December: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Dune: Part II are the most notable. There’s no guarantee that either film would’ve been a huge hit (though current box office trackers say Dune: Part II will be a success), but it would’ve helped boost a rather lackluster December.
The key thing about Wonka is that it resonated with audiences because it was surprisingly good. Given how expensive it is to go to a movie these days, audiences are not going to see a film that isn’t worth the ticket price. The Superbowl weekend just had a historically bad box office return with Argylle making it at No. 1 with a measly $6.3 million.
Only Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Color Purple were its biggest threats. Unfortunately, neither film resonated much with audiences. The former actually did better than expected since DC movies have been bombing left and right throughout 2023. However, The Color Purple turned out to be a failure that no one saw coming. Wonka opened big during its first week and the hype continued to grow as the weeks went on.
The Musical Aspect Actually Helped Wonka
Audiences had no clue that Wonka was a musical. The advertisements cleverly hid that important factor and musicals don’t particularly do well in the mainstream these days. However, unlike The Color Purple (another musical), the reason that subgenre worked was because it coincided with the Christmas season. Wonka was the perfect Christmas movie and the songs typically brought joy and laughter to audiences worldwide. The Color Purple didn’t.
That film had a depressing and tragic subject matter that didn’t fit with the spirit of the Christmas season. Plus, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory series is no stranger to musicals. Whether it’s the original film or Tim Burton‘s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, both movies had some musical numbers within them. So it wasn’t a complete shock that songs played a huge role in Wonka. For The Color Purple, audiences weren’t clued in that the remake was actually based on the Broadway musical. The 2023 version was not the same film that Steven Spielberg made in 1985.
Timothée Chalamet Is A Star
Timothée Chalamet may not be on the level of Leonardo DiCaprio or Tom Cruise, but the young actor has been slowly building his name in the mainstream. Since his breakout performance in Call Me By Your Name, Chalamet has continuously proved his acting chops in movies such as Lady Bird, Little Women, The French Dispatch, and Dune. However, it’s not just the fact that he’s proven to be a good actor, Chalamet comes across as a likable presence in the eyes of fans.
He doesn’t babble about his political views nor has he been in anything controversial. Though the Oscar nominee was fresh off Bones and All, a 2022 bomb that puts him in an unlikely role as a cannibal, that film helped diversify Chalamet’s portfolio and expand his audience. Chalamet’s likable personality, the established Wonka IP, and the film nicely blends in with the Christmas season are why it’s made over $600 million worldwide.