As hard as it may be to conceive, there’s certainly something that happens that turns the incredibly charming Wonka we meet in Paul King’s prequel film to the slightly bitter but brilliantly kooky chocolatier we know, love, and are kind of afraid of. If he got the callback, venturing down that path would be all-new territory for the “Paddington” director. Not only would he be filling in gaps that not even Roald Dahl revealed, but it would also mark a tonal switch for King, who typically keeps his characters calm and polite to ensure the world will be right. Should he dare to take on another chapter of Wonka’s world, this could be like Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader, but with a higher sugar intake.
To imagine revisiting Chalamet’s lovable hero, who hasn’t even opened the gates to his factory yet, eventually shutting himself off from the world he’s so keen to feed, is almost unthinkable. Nevertheless, it would undoubtedly make for a compelling watch, particularly with King involved and, hopefully, Chalamet getting the returning support of Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa (even if he hated it). Of course, just like any good chocolate, we’ll have to wait and let this installment settle and see if the studio powers that be decide if “Wonka” is worth another bite in the future.
