Copyright Inverse
What makes a good prequel? It usually provides the opportunity to flesh out an already beloved character or tell further stories in an already established world. But one element truly sorts out the good prequels from the great: innovation. It can be as simple as changing the tone from the original, or even changing genres. Alien: Romulus went for a YA spin on the original Alien formula. Andor featured small-scale spy stories rather than the grand space opera of Rogue One. And, of course, Better Call Saul stands tall as a prequel that arguably surpassed the original with its tragic reimagining of a shallow supporting character. In 2023, a new prequel movie seemed like it was just another cash grab — a simple cynical attempt to recycle a formula of a familiar IP. But behind an A-list star and well-trod source material lies one of the most innovative prequels ever. When Warner Bros. announced Wonka, it was, justifiably, confusing. The movie was set to be an “origin story” of the character of Willy Wonka — specifically, Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, since Netflix owns the rights to author Roald Dahl’s entire catalogue. And it starred Timothée Chalamet, fresh from starring in Warner Bros. previous blockbuster Dune. It appeared like it would be the ultimate in unnecessary prequels. But the result was instead a big, candy-colored, whimsical musical that made me cry multiple times. Wonka’s secret weapon is its director, Paul King, who co-wrote the script along with Simon Farnaby. King and Farnaby had previously worked on Paddington and Paddington in Peru, and Wonka is, for all intents and purposes, a spiritual sequel — just starring Timothée instead of a furry bear, and chocolates instead of marmalade sandwiches. Wonka opens with its eponymous character coming to the big city with 12 silver sovereigns in his pocket and a “hatful of dreams,” but pretty much instantly finds himself embroiled in an indentured servitude scam, enslaved by an evil laundress (Olivia Colman). But with scrappy foster kid Noodle (Calah Lane), he’s still determined to provide the masses with chocolates unlike anything they’ve seen before... unless they’re foiled by the existing Big Chocolate companies. Sure, there are some nostalgia-bait moments like Lofty the Oompa-Loompa, but Hugh Grant plays the role with the self-aware seriousness he lent his villain in Paddington 2, so any referential humor is instantly forgiven. This isn’t a movie that tries to fit itself into a previous movie’s world. Instead, it reveals a parallel dimension viewed through the lens of Wonka himself — instead of the grey, murky urban jungle seen in the first act of the original film, even the most depressing tableaus are full of twee whimsy that King has now made his signature. Wonka may be overlooked as another way to get Timothée Chalamet on movie screens, but it will 100% be considered a hidden gem in about 10-15 years. It’s got everything you could possibly want in a prequel: heart, a clear vision, and, most importantly, the ability to veer from its source and try something a little different. Wonka is now streaming on Netflix.
