Wonka (2023)
Director: Paul King
Screenwriters: Simon Farnaby, Paul King
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, Matthew Baynton, Tom Davis, Hugh Grant

Willy Wonka is an enigma. In Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), the original adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” we don’t learn much about him, other than his desire to find an heir to his candy empire, as well as the cruel delight he takes in teaching naughty children a lesson. Wonka is charming and a little unhinged, paranoid from all of the years he has spent locked away in his factory, making sure no one gets their hands on the secret to his out-of-this-world sweets. With a devilish smile and a playful yet devious twinkle in his eye, actor Gene Wilder infuses Wonka with dimension, but we never dig too deep. He’s a nut that we never quite crack, and he works as a character because of that. There’s a reason why the original novel is called “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” after all – at the end of the day, it’s Charlie’s journey. Wilder’s performance hints at the layers inside of Wonka that we don’t need to unpeel, but nevertheless know are there. Wonka, the spiritual prequel to the 1971 musical classic, helmed by Paddington director Paul King, does unpeel those layers, but what’s found underneath is a deeply disappointing origin story that lacks the magic and edge that the original (and even Tim Burton’s 2005 remake) has in spades. Touted as a fun-for-the-whole family Christmas classic in the making, Wonka simply doesn’t have enough sparkle to ever hope to achieve that distinction.

Despite its tagline, which insists we will find out how “Willy became Wonka,” Timothée Chalamet’s version of the famous candy maker and magician doesn’t actually become anything. He just kind of already is.

The film begins with Willy, bright-eyed and bursting with optimism, atop a ship mast, where he begins his “I Want” song, “Hatful of Dreams”. Willy arrives in an unnamed city, fresh off the boat, ready to share his chocolate with the world, as his mother (Sally Hawkins) always hoped he would. Willy is earnest and determined, living on nothing but a dream. But the Galeries Gourmet is not what Willy initially imagined it would be. Instead of spreading his creations, he faces opposition and sabotage from three greedy chocolate makers, including Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), who will soon become his arch-nemesis. Willy then gets tricked into indentured servitude because he cannot read and fails to read the small print on his contract with Mrs. Scrubitt, played by Olivia Colman doing her best over the top Madame Thénardier impression. Aided by Noodle (Calah Lane), a fellow indentured servant and orphan who becomes Willy’s assistant, as well as the rest of the workers, Wonka bids to outsmart the trio and earn the freedom of himself and his friends.

Timothée Chalamet might be the only saving grace in the film, contrary to early assumptions that he may have been miscast. At times he’s charming, funny and endearing, but his performance is constantly in flux and dependent on the material and direction he’s given. When his jokes don’t land, his performance falls flat, even though he is clearly committed to the bit. Thankfully, he doesn’t try to do an impression of Gene Wilder, but he also doesn’t make the character enough of his own to really stand out. This isn’t his fault; he isn’t given much to work with.

All of the obstacles Willy encounters are external. Whether it’s Mrs. Scrubitt’s dishonest business practices, the antics of the greedy chocolatiers, or Hugh Grant’s Oompa-Loompa hijinks, the plot is always happening to Willy. He is almost entirely a reactionary character, and this is a problem in a movie that is supposed to be an origin story, the story of how he became who he is. It would have been nice if he actively participated in the narrative…

Willy’s desire to share his inventions with the world just as his mother hoped is sweet and admirable, but it simply isn’t enough to drive what we see. The writers, King and Paddington 2 co-writer Simon Farnaby (who also appears in Wonka as Basil), were backed into a corner considering Willy Wonka is a recluse by the time we meet him in the original movie. Telling that story would certainly be more interesting, but not very uplifting, so the filmmakers sidestep it entirely. As a result, there doesn’t seem to be any connection between Chalamet’s Wonka and Wilder’s.

Demystifying a character that works the best when we don’t know everything about him is a non-starter (as proven in Star Wars spin-off Solo), but the filmmakers didn’t give much thought to the supporting characters either. Lane and Chalamet work well together, and their friendship is a bright spot in the movie, but most of the supporting characters are so thinly drawn they barely register as real people. As for Hugh Grant’s Lofty, an Oompa Loompa who has been stealing Willy’s candy because he was excommunicated from Oompa Land until he can get back all of the chocolate that Willy stole, he’s surprisingly in very little of the film. The motion capture is jarring and unconvincing, but at least Grant’s contempt for the role, which he has expressed in several recent interviews, doesn’t show on screen.

Wonka, like the original film adaptation, is a musical, but not a very good one. The songs, written by Neil Hannon, King, Farnaby, and Joby Talbot, are unremarkable and lack passion, which is a shame considering Hannon’s exceptional work with The Divine Comedy. The songs in Wonka, especially Willy’s “Hatful of Dreams,” pale in comparison to those written by Howard Ashman, the songwriting genius behind the iconic tunes of The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). By comparison, “Hatful of Dreams” lacks interiority or reflection. Perhaps the biggest faux pas in this regard is how Willy’s desire to sell chocolates in the hopes of reconnecting with the spirit of his late mother is barely mentioned. Songs in musicals should, in theory, take place when characters are so full of emotion that words no longer feel enough. And then, they must dance when singing doesn’t feel enough. But nothing drives the songs in this movie and they don’t feel needed. They are boring and directionless. Chalamet’s voice is fine, if a little weak and thin in places, but it’s worth noting that his best performance is when he sings “Pure Imagination”, a song not originally written for this film.

Wonka also strips away any of the melancholy or dark comedy found both in the 1971 movie and Roald Dahl’s overall work. The 1971 film feels a lot like “Alice in Wonderland” in that it is a dreamlike and slightly menacing descent into a magical world, but Wonka smooths all those edges out. As a result, the movie is sickly sweet and above all, nice. Which is ironic, because while the filmmakers were busy adding uplifting lyrics to “Pure Imagination” and simplifying the orchestrations, themes, and social commentaries of the 1971 film, they also made time to make several offensive and outdated fat jokes, aimed at Keegan Michael Key’s Chief of Police, who is dressed in a ridiculous fat suit and gets fatter and fatter the more he indulges in the sweets the greedy chocolate makers use to bribe him with. Using fatness as a shorthand for gluttony and greed, and having an actor who is not fat perform fatness, is hurtful and mean-spirited. It’s hard to believe such an antiquated trope is included in a film made in 2023 – especially one made about the wonderful taste of sweet treats – and it sours the viewing experience. For all of the niceness this movie tries desperately to exude, it makes sure to keep one of the only things from the original film that actually needed updating.

If Wonka is trying to say something, it’s hard to know what that something is. The film plays with themes of oppression, poverty, and greed, but doesn’t do much with them. It would be a losing battle to assume that Western filmmaking would trust its young audience enough to sprinkle in some adult themes, but it is equally weird to mention them in passing and not engage with them. Believing in your dreams and sharing those dreams with others should feel like magic, but the film doesn’t allow us to know these characters enough to genuinely care about them or their dreams.

The sets also leave something to be desired. When Wonka first unveils his factory in the original film, it’s a technicolor dream, calling to mind the reveal of the land of Oz in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. It is bright and colorful and a little surreal. Wonka feels like a step down in comparison, and the filmmakers’ decision to set a good chunk of the film in the Galeries Gourtmet makes the world of Wonka feel like it’s just floating in space surrounded by nothing. It is small and claustrophobic.

Prequels bait us with the promise that we will get to see some of our most beloved characters become the people we love and remember from our childhoods. In Wonka, Willy may be younger and brighter and less mad than he will soon become, but if you are counting on the film to show you how that happens, you will be very disappointed. Instead, Wonka is a barely passable movie musical that is so sugary it ends up choking on its own sweetness.

Score: 12/24

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Inspired by her own adolescence, Lady Bird is a love letter to Gerwig’s hometown of Sacramento, California – portrait of a young girl who only discovers her affection for the place she grew up in after leaving it behind. It’s a film that feels familiar, whether you went to Catholic school or grew up in community theater or went for weeks without speaking to your mom, and Gerwig manages to capture something so specific yet universal about growing up, falling in love, and figuring out who you really are. It is also a painfully realistic depiction of growing up without the comfort and safety of financial stability.

Though Greta Gerwig began her career as a key figure in the mumblecore movement, co-directing and co-writing Nights and Weekends along with Joe Swanberg, Lady Bird catapulted her into the mainstream. The movie was nominated at the 90th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. The role of Lady Bird earned Saoirse Ronan her third Oscar nomination at just 23 years old.

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we revisit some of Lady Bird’s most hilarious, cathartic, dramatic, and poignant moments. These are the 10 Best Lady Bird Moments.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

10. Any Time Kyle Says “That’s hella tight.”

In Lady Bird, Timothée Chalamet plays Kyle, the object of Lady Bird’s affection in the second half of the movie after her break up with Danny (Lucas Hedges). He’s cool, he smokes cigarettes, and, by his own admission, “hasn’t lied in two years.”

Timothée Chalamet’s delivery of his line “that’s hella tight” is nonchalant, yet dead serious – it’s hilarious and it highlights his incredible comedic timing as an actor.

One of the most endearing things about Lady Bird is how endlessly quotable it is, and this one is sure to get stuck in your head and refuse to leave.

9. Julie and Lady Bird Fight

One of the best things about Lady Bird is how stacked the cast is. From veteran actors like Laurie Metcalf and Tracey Letts, to rising stars like Lucas Hedges and Timothée Chalamet, there’s no shortage of delightfully strong performances.

While Beanie Feldstein’s break out role came a few years later with Booksmart, Lady Bird put her on the map.

As Julie, Lady Bird’s self-conscious, shy best friend, Feldstein oozes sincerity and charm. but when Lady Bird ditches Julie to hang out with popular ribbon-wearing Jenna Walton (Odeya Rush), Julie finally gives Lady Bird a piece of her mind. The results are hilarious.

Recommended for you: Lady Bird (2017) Review

Timothée Chalamet will reunite with Guadagnino, after his Oscar-nominated turn in Call Me By Your Name as the disenfranchised drifter Lee. The film will co-star Taylor Russell (Waves, Escape Room) as Maren. Filling out the cast are Mark Rylance, André Holland, Jessica Harper, Michael Stuhlbarg (also returning from Call Me By Your Name), Halloween director David Gordon Green, Francesca Scorsese and Chloë Sevigny.

The film, being penned by Guadagnino’s long-time collaborator David Kajganich (Suspiria), explores the first love between Maren and Lee as they travel across America to find the former’s father. Maren hopes to discover why she has the desire to kill and eat the people that love her. Set against the backdrop of Reagan’s America, the film seems to be a mixture of classic road trip movies, like Jerry Schatzberg’s Scarecrow, with a sprinkling of Julia Ducournau’s Raw. 

MGM Film Group Chairman, Michael De Luca, and President, Pam Abdy, had this to say:

“Since his earliest days, Luca has been obsessed with movies, which makes him a kindred spirit to us both. We have long admired his devotion to the kind of cinema that is both admired and passionately discussed by moviegoing audiences. He is the rare filmmaker whose two-decades long career has spanned countless genres and subjects, and throughout he has remained true to his unique vision. We are equally thrilled to be working with Timothée, Taylor, Mark and this outstanding ensemble cast whose work in Bones and All will be a must see on the big screen.”

This enthusiasm is shared by Guadagnino who is quoted as saying:

“I am delighted that MGM, a studio that so clearly loves filmmakers and respects bold vision, is going to bring my movie into the world and that the amazing work of Timothée, Taylor, Mark and the rest of the cast will be seen in theaters. Bones and All could not be in better hands with Kevin Ulrich, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy at the helm. I am truly proud to be associated with the iconic lion that has roared at the start of so many of my favorite films over the decades.”

While no release date has been given, the film has wrapped filming in Ohio. Deadline are reporting that the film will not be ready in time for this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May, so the film will likely debut later in 2022.

For a while, it seemed like release schedule reshuffles had settled down in Tinseltown after a slew of rescheduling caused delays in 2020 and 2021. Spider-Man: No Way Home proved that people were willing to head back to the multiplex, becoming the 6th highest-grossing film ever, and The Batman has just debuted to $250 million worldwide. But now Warner Bros., the studio behind the caped crusader’s latest adventure, have delayed some of their most notable tentpoles into 2023, whilst also shuffling their release order around.

The changes mostly concern upcoming DC films, and are as follows:

• DC League of Super-Pets moves from May 20 to July 29.
• Black Adam moves from July 29 to October 21.
• The Flash moves from November 4 to June 23, 2023.
• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom moves from December 16 to March 17, 2023.
• Wonka moves from March 17, 2023, to December 15, 2023.
• Shazam! Fury of the Gods moves up from June 2, 2023, to December 16, 2022
• Meg 2: The Trench has been set for August 4, 2023.

This decision is a surprising one given a recent Super Bowl advert which boasted the 2022 DC slate. This same spot played at the end of The Batman too, meaning the reshuffling is the result of a very sudden move.

As for a reason as to why, Deadline have reported it is due to “the logjam many post-prod effects houses are facing as productions ramped up during Covid,” showing that the pandemic is still having an impact on the film industry. This is not surprising given the special effects-heavy nature of superhero movies, so VFX artists will likely benefit greatly from this increased time. Some fans have also speculated that the shuffle indicates there are story beats that need to play in a certain order to fit the wider DCEU narrative; for example Shazam! may introduce elements that audiences will need to know before seeing The Flash. This is not confirmed however.

Some of the most notable changes include Shazam! which now faces off against the long-awaited Avatar 2, as both open on the same day. Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji; The Fate of the Furious) vehicle, Black Adam, will now play closer to Halloween, and face off against trilogy capper Halloween Ends which hits screens a week prior. While the latter is clearly more suited to this season, Warner Bros. may be hoping that Black Adam can serve as counterprograming for non-horror fans.

These changes also mark 5 years since The Flash was first meant to hit screens, on 23rd March 2018. Infamously the film has been pushed back multiple times.

As for non-DC films, the Timothee Chalamet (The French Dispatch; Little Women) led Wonka moves back 9 months for a more festive release date. It’s very likely that the Roald Dahl-inspired film will have little competition too. While Star Wars film Rogue Squadron is still set to release on this date, production has been delayed meaning a move (or possibly even cancellation) is likely. Ben Wheatley’s Meg 2 has also been added to the slate, eyeing a 4th August 2023 release.

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Mangold will direct and produce a biopic about silent era star Buster Keaton, based on the book “Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase” by Marion Meade. The film is being developed by 20th Century Studios, formerly 20th Century Fox and now a subsidiary of Disney.

Known for feats of physical hilarity and stunts that revolutionised filmmaking techniques, Keaton is often considered one of the greatest comedians in cinema history, his silent films Sherlock Jr. (1924) and The General (1926) having cemented his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most iconic performers for the past 100 years.

Director James Mangold’s previous work includes the Oscar-winning biopic Walk The Line, which starred Joaquin Phoenix as iconic musician Johnny Cash. Mangold is also still attached to direct the Bob Dylan biopic, Going Electric, for Searchlight, which will star Timothée Chalamet as Dylan and will detail the period in his life when he traded his acoustic guitar for an electric one.

Outside of biopics, Mangold has worked in the comic book genre, directing The Wolverine and the highly-acclaimed Logan, a farewell to Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the iconic Wolverine character. More recently Mangold directed the Oscar-winning sports drama Ford v Ferrari, which starred Matt Damon and Christian Bale.

No release date has been announced due to the project being so early in development, but key announcements such as the film’s writer/s and actors will likely pop up soon.

The film in question is Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Little Women.

Louisa May Alcott’s classic American coming-of-age tale has made its way to the screen multiple times over the years, and while Christmas is a significant factor in all adaptations, Greta Gerwig’s version feels especially like the perfect winter warmer. 

Maybe Little Women’s Christmassy nature is influenced by the time in which it was released, with a Christmas Day Opening in the US, and subsequent worldwide releases in the following days. It can’t help but to be associated with the holiday, given that so many saw it for the first time (and sometimes second and third times) in that hazy week that occurs between Christmas and New Year. Its status is also influenced by the number of times we see the holiday portrayed in the film, with each Christmas holding significant weight for our protagonists. From learning the lessons of giving to those in need, to the start of the March family’s friendship with Mr Laurence (Chris Cooper), to the homecoming of the March sisters’ father from the war. For the March family, Christmas serves as a pivotal point in their year. 

Above each of these factors, the thing that ultimately makes Little Women a perfect Christmas watch is its inherent cosiness. The harshness of the winter is contrasted by the softness of the simple domesticity of this story. The stakes are low: the narrative action centering around the everyday ups and downs of family life. Whether it’s the girls bundling on top of each other on the floor, or calling each other names, or them sitting around dressed as Englishmen as they play pretend in their attic, Little Women invites us to join the March family in a way that feels genuine and familiar. At a time of year all about connecting with family, it’s a more than welcome invitation. Much like Laurie (Timothee Chalamet) when he first meets them, we don’t have to stand on the side and observe; Gerwig’s maternal guide of the camera, paired with Marmee’s (Laura Dern) warm smile, quickly bring us into the fold, journeying with these characters as if they were friends. In fact, this inclusion of Laurie into the March household extends this familial cosiness, reminding us that while sisterly affection is important, for those who lack blood relatives to offer that, there is always the opportunity to forge your own family. 

Cosiness is also found in the familiarity of it all. Familiarity when it comes to the text itself, given the number of adaptations and the regard people have for the novel, but also familiarity in both the little details and the bigger themes. Many will recognise the desire to splurge on that fancy outfit when you know you can’t afford it, just like Meg (Emma Watson). Many will recognise the dream of wanting to be “great or nothing”, just as Amy (Florence Pugh) expresses. Many will feel Marmee and Jo’s struggle of wanting to be more even-tempered each day. And many will deeply feel the weight of the monologue in which Jo (Saoirse Ronan) tells of all the things women are, beyond just their relationship status, vocalising her profound loneliness despite that knowledge. And while there is something of the melancholic in all these associations, there remains something deeply comforting about being known.

Many will also recognise the way Jo laughs as Amy gets her foot stuck in plaster cast, or the way Laurie turns away so as not to laugh when Jo cuts off her hair, or even Beth (Eliza Scanlen) saying she’s scared of boys. The beauty of Little Women is that Gerwig treats none of this as inconsequential – it matters on the screen because it would matter to someone in real life. 

Christmas is a time to take stock of the year just gone, and to prepare for the year ahead. The film’s dual narrative, with timelines taking place in both the past and the present, helps us to lean into this reflective spirit. The structure of the film serves to show the parallels between these different eras of Jo’s life, but also serves as a helpful reminder of how the past influences and dictates the choices we make today and who we will inevitably become. As the year draws to a close, this reminder encourages us to look back on the past 12 months and how differently we’ve left them to when we started. The two timelines are distinguished in the film by their different colour palettes, with orange-autumnal tones painting the flashbacks, while the present is depicted in a much colder, blue-tinted tone. In a way, this is a reminder of Christmas: in particular the coldness of the winter outside, contrasted by the glow of a warm yellow light and a fireplace inside. The latter is the comfort we use to seek solace from the cold, much in the way the film shows the past as a nostalgic solace for Jo. 

While these are all abstract renderings of what makes Little Women a Christmas movie, there are also clearer examples we can draw upon. Mainly, it’s the fact that Little Women contains a lot of what we’ve come to expect in classic seasonal movies. There are romantic gestures, there’s forgiveness, there are buckets of heart. It celebrates the joys of coming together, but is also unafraid to be a little sad at times. It cares deeply about the things we are prone to overlook. While these themes aren’t present in every Christmas film, they certainly epitomise the film that defines the genre: It’s A Wonderful Life. They also sneak their way into more contemporary offerings including Elf and Love Actually. And even if they weren’t the marks of a good Christmas movie, they would remain, in ways, the marks of a good Christmas.

After 2020’s smaller, more unusual Christmas, this year will mark the first big family occasion for many. Just like the scene in which Father (Bob Odenkirk) stumbles home for the first time in years, there seems to be a sense of anticipation as we get ready to join our loved ones. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women will remind you of fights over games of Monopoly, and angling for the best present from your grandparents, and it will feel like the hug you get from your parents when you first get home for the holidays. Little Women may not be the most conventional Christmas movie, whether you agree with the writer’s bestowing of the title at all, but it will make you feel the warmth and wonder of being alive in a way that feels just a little bit festive. 

Written by Rehana Nurmahi

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The French Dispatch (2021)
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriters: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Benicio del Toro, Léa Seydoux, Elisabeth Moss, Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton

Wes Anderson’s style is by now so distinctive that it has been much parodied and imitated, and yet it remains a glorious tinderbox of invention that continues to enthral many audiences. Fresh off the success of The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle Of Dogs, the famed director returns with The French Dispatch, a loving ode to France and print journalism. Delayed from its original July 2020 release, The French Dispatch premiered at Cannes and London Film Festival before a wide release in October 2021. To date, this might be the most Anderson movie of them all; how much mileage anyone gets out of The French Dispatch may depend on how well versed they are in this particular filmmaker’s ouevre.

The French Dispatch essentially comprises of four short stories featuring articles from the final edition of the titular French Dispatch, a supplement in the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun from the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé. We begin with the news that the magazine’s editor Arthur Howitzer Jr (Bill Murray) has died and that he had wished for the magazine to wind down upon his death, thus the four stories are to be the magazine’s last.

The stories in question are as follows…

“The Cycling Reporter” by Herbsaint Sazerac (played by Owen Wilson), navigates Enui by day and night, giving readers a tour of the town the magazine operates from. While this is a relatively short segment, it still showcases Owen Wilson’s natural ability to fit seamlessly into Anderson’s projects, Wilson of course having co-written the first three films Anderson worked on.

“The Concrete Masterpiece” by J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton in fine comedic form) focuses on incarcerated artist Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro), and particularly his relationship with his muse Simone (Léa Seydoux). The bulk of the story operates as a play on the art world with Adrien Brody’s Julien Cadazio an art dealer of great success deeply interested in Moses’ works. This segment acts as a showcase for its cast with Brody of course a standout in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Del Toro showing a natural aptitude for the whimsical nature of Anderson’s work.

“Revisions to a Manifesto” by Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) depicts a series of turbulent student protests. It’s clear these sequences strongly bear the influence of French New Wave pioneers Truffaut and Godard, with direct nods to Masculin Feminin especially. This sequence is led by Timothée Chalamet’s Zeffirelli, a leader within the student protest movement.

The final story is “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner” by Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright). This story is almost a story within a story, with Wright giving a TV interview recounting an absurd encounter in which the Comissaire’s son was kidnapped, and a story involving police cooking. This is arguably the deepest of the overarching stories, being more soulful and introspective than some of the earlier segments.

The cast are, as any fan of Anderson’s work would expect, on top form. And, while some certainly have less to do than others, the leads in each of the main segments are clearly having a blast, each illustrating their understandings of the nuances of Anderson’s dialogue. Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe and Elisabeth Moss could do with more to do, but with a cast as loaded as this there are always those who draw the short straw.

Robert Yeoman’s Cinematography is a constant delight. Flipping between black and white and colour throughout, Yeoman handles the juxtaposition with great skill and allows certain elements in each story to shine, whether that be Moses’ works of art or the piercing blue eyes of Saoirse Ronan. The production design, which is a treat across Anderson’s filmography, is once again a consummate joy, be it the offices of the French Dispatch or Café Le Sans Blague which makes appearances throughout.

While perhaps The French Dispatch is not Anderson’s most free-flowing film, it is an amalgamation of everything Anderson has put to film to date, drawing on his love of cartoons, newspapers and French culture (in particular cinema). This is a love letter to the world of journalism, and it contains some stellar lead performances and wildly creative directorial choices. If you are not already enamoured by this director’s style, The French Dispatch may not be for you, but if you are you will certainly find much to love.

21/24

Timothée Chalamet in promotional material for Dune (2021).

The upcoming sci-fi adaptation was initially scheduled to release in November of 2020, so another three weeks likely won’t make fans too upset. The most interesting part of the move is Dune’s new competition: Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho and the new Wes Anderson film, The French Dispatch. Like Dune, these films are the works of popular directors and have been hotly anticipated, especially the latter which was intended to premiere at Cannes 2020. It would be surprising if the other studios decide to keep this release date, as each of the films play to similar audiences.

The move actually came about to tackle competition. According to insiders, the studio wanted to increase space between Dune and the newest James Bond film, No Time to Die, due to open 8th October. This shows WB’s faith in the film performing well, expecting it to deliver blockbuster figures.

It should be noted that in the US, Dune will be available to stream day-and-date on HBO Max, so its box office earnings may be effected by this.

Dune is set to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and sees director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival; Blade Runner 2049) return to the sci-fi genre. The latest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking novel stars Timothée Chalamet (Little Women), Zendaya (Spider-Man: Far from Home), Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) and Oscar Isaac (Star Wars Sequel Trilogy).

Last Night in Soho continues the career high of Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), who turned in an award-winning performance in Netflix miniseries ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. This is Edgar Wright’s (Scott Pilgrim; Hot Fuzz) first film since Baby Driver (2017), which was not only a critical success, but also became the director’s highest grossing film earning $226,945,087 worldwide.

The French Dispatch on the other hand sees Wes Anderson (Rushmore; The Grand Budapest Hotel) reunite with his acting regulars as they take on the final days of an American newspaper outpost in 20th century France. Timothée Chalamet also stars here. While film fans will no doubt revel in a Chalamet double feature, it will be interesting to see how general moviegoers react to the actor being prominently featured in both.

Other films affected by the shuffle include Clint Eastwood‘s Cry Macho, now set to debut on 17th September, and ‘The Sopranos’ prequel The Many Saints of Newark, scheduled for 1st October.

Gene Wilder played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

The film is to be directed by Paul King, who is best known for directing the recent live-action Paddington movies, both of which proved to be hits critically and commercially. Wonka will see King re-team with his Paddington producer David Heyman, who has produced a range of films including the Harry Potter franchise.

Not much is known about the story aside from that the film will focus on a younger Willy Wonka before he becomes owner of the famous chocolate factory. The film will therefore not be directly based on a specific Roald Dahl novel, as opposed to Willy Wonka’s previous screen appearances.

The script was co-written by King and Simon Farnaby, based on a draft by Simon Rich (An American Pickle). 

It is currently unknown who will play the role of the titular character. Previous incarnations have seen Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp portray the extravagant chocolatier. A source for Collider has said that Warner Bros. are currently eyeing either Tom Holland or Timothée Chalamet, with the hopes of creating a franchise. However, this is not confirmed.

Holland is best known for his role as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the third instalment due to release in December 2021. Outside of that, fans can expect to see plenty more of the actor this year as he has three additional films schedule to release. First is the much delayed Chaos Walking from director Doug Liman (Swingers; The Bourne Identity). The sci-fi film will see Holland star opposite Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) and was originally intended to release in March of 2019. The film will finally hit cinemas in early March 2021. Shortly after comes the crime drama Cherry, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Endgame), an Apple TV exclusive due to release in late March. Finally, Holland will play Nathan Drake in the video game based movie, Uncharted.

As Holland dominates the world of blockbusters, Chalamet has been appearing in more awards friendly films. Chalamet received an Oscar nomination for his role as Elio in Call Me By Your Name. He has also appeared in many critically successful indie films, like Greta Gerwig‘s Lady Bird and 2019 novel adaptation Little Women. As for upcoming projects, Chalamet will appear in Wes Anderson‘s The French Dispatch, Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up and will play music legend Bob Dylan in James Mangold‘s Going Electric. In addition to these awards centric films, the upcoming Dune remake will see the actor stepping foot into blockbuster territory, seeming to indicate that Wonka is not outside the realm of possibility.

While neither actor has expressed public interest in Wonka, both would seem like a good fit for the role if Warner Bros. do wish to spawn sequels due to their star power.

The film is currently scheduled to film in September, though this could change depending on permits, laws and licenses imposed by the pandemic.

The film, which is being produced for release by Netflix, follows two low-level scientists who discover an asteroid on course to hit Earth. The pair embark on a media tour to warn people of the impending doom. McKay’s previous work includes the Anchorman films, Step Brothers, The Big Short and Vice, the latter two of which proved to be quite successful during their respective awards seasons, including a win for Best Adapted Screenplay and nominations for Best Picture. As was the case with those latter films, Don’t Look Up is expected to blend comedic and dramatic elements.

The ensemble is of a high caliber if awards are anything to go by. DiCaprio, Streep, Lawrence and Blanchett have all won Academy Awards for acting, whilst Chalamet and Hill have been nominated. According to Deadline, most of the actors had been attached since spring and it was DiCaprio who was holding up any announcements. This was reportedly due to him working out if he could appear in both this and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. 

Don’t Look Up is scheduled to start filming before the end of 2020, with its release date currently unknown.