Casting Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka seems natural, but everyone is buzzing about Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in the new trailer for Wonka.
The origin story includes some delightful musical showstoppers and features a host of great comedic actors. Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, Natasha Rothwell, Rich Fulcher, Rakhee Thakrar, Tom Davis, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Watch for Rowan Atkinson stealing scenes as a priest.
Regarding the buzzy cast of Grant, director Paul King worked with Grant on Paddington 2, and thought of Grant as he read the beloved books by Roald Dahl. King told Empire,
Going back to the book, and reading all those poems, and hearing [the Oompa Loompas’] voice as a very sort of cynical, sarcastic, cruel, funny, but wicked voice, I went,
‘Oh… That’s sort of a bit like Hugh!’ It was a real light bulb moment – you go, ‘Hugh Grant’s an Oompa-Loompa! Yes please! Merry Christmas, with a bow on it.’
Once you see it, everything makes sense!
Watch.
Image: YouTube / Warner Bros. Pictures
