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Wonka just hit a huge box office milestone

Timothée Chalamet's larger-than-life character has wooed audiences worldwide

16 January 2024

Wonka was always poised to become a worldwide smash - particularly with a swoon-worthy performance from Timothée Chalamet in its pocket.

Now though, the series has gone and smashed one rather notable box office record.

Five weeks on from its release, the musical prequel has now surpassed the $500 million mark worldwide.

The third live-action film to be created based upon Roald Dahl's original, Wonka tells the tale of a man who can only dream of opening his very own sweetshop.

Set in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka (Chalamet) quickly discovers the underhand exploits of a greedy cartel.

Crunching the numbers, the record was revealed by Box Office Mojo, with the hit release continuing to tick over nicely.

Currently sitting at a total of $507.9 million worldwide — $178.8 million of which was raked in at the US box office,

With a $125 million budget, the film has easily surpassed production and distribution costs.
Directed by Paul King, Wonka is an adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that has long terrified and enthralled readers worldwide.

Substituting the darkness of the Gene Wilder classic for an altogether friendlier vibe, Wonka currently has a rating of 83% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

The Atlantic's review read: 'Wonka is saccharine, yes, but if you’re going to indulge, it’s better to be in the hands of a master confectioner.'

Meanwhile, Vulture described it as a film which 'never reaches the singularly compelling strangeness of the source material' but 'lands somewhere close enough to be mostly satisfying'.

Starring other huge names, including Olivia Colman, Paterson Joseph, Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins and Matt Lucas, Hugh Grant tops off the list as the cynical Oompa Loompa we've always longed for.

Catch Wonka in UK cinemas now.