‘Wonka’ director says Timothée Chalamet sings like Bing Crosby
The director of the upcoming Wonka movie, which sees Timothée Chalamet portraying a younger version of the acclaimed Roald Dahl character, has recently likened its leading actor’s singing voice to that of ‘White Christmas’ singer Bing Crosby.
Paul King, known for previously writing and directing both BAFTA-nominated Paddington films, shared how he thought that Chalamet had “a beautiful singing voice,” adding that “the person it reminded me of was Bing Crosby.” Unlike the original Gene Wilder version, however, King clarified that Wonka will be “more like a movie with songs than a musical.”
Speaking to Total Film Magazine, the director showered praise on his star. “There’s quite a range, because it does go from a couple of bigger, showstopper-y sort of things, to moments of real, pure emotion, and he can do it all… I’m going to sound like a crazed fan.”
While the trailer did hint at some big musical moments, King explained his reasoning for opting not to make the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel an all-out musical, saying, “The Oompa Loompas sing a lot in the book, and Dahl always uses poetry. But I didn’t want it to just become a musical where people are singing dialogue to each other for no discernible reason.”
The Wonka director previously told Rolling Stone how clips of Chalamet on YouTube gave him confidence that the star could tackle “proper musical sequences”, stating that “he was the only person in my mind who could do it.” King explained that “because he’s Timothée Chalamet and his life is so absurd, his high school musical performances are on YouTube and have hundreds of thousands of views.”
However, despite knowing “that he could sing and dance really well,” the director was nevertheless surprised by how talented and game Chalamet was in showcasing his singing and dancing talents. “I knew that was in his arsenal, but I didn’t know how good he was,” King explained. “When I spoke to him he was quite keen. He’d done tap dancing in high school, and he was like, ‘I’d quite like to show people I can do that.'”
Wonka stars Chalamet as a younger version of the eccentric chocolatier, alongside Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompahs and a colourful cast of British acting’s finest, including Olivia Coleman, Rowan Atkinson and Sally Hawkins. Watch the trailer below.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.