If you want to see Dune: Part Two before the busy opening night crowds, there is an option. The highly anticipated sequel to Denis Villenevue’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece is one of the most beloved stories in the genre. So can you see it early in theaters?
Fan First Premieres offers fans the opportunity to see some of their favorite movies before their release. Dune: Part Two has had a few release date changes and delays, and will now hit theaters on March 1. Many fans are ready to finally see the second part of Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) story and see how he handles living among the Fremen with his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson).
New additions to the cast include Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) and Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), along with some other mysterious cameos. The anticipation is real so here is what we know about the Fan First Premiere!
When is the Fan First Premiere?
The premiere is set for Sunday, February 25. While that is not a huge advantage, you are seeing Dune: Part Two roughly four days before the general public heads into theaters. After waiting for months after its original release date, that four-day head start will give you time to ponder everything that happens in Part Two before you return to theaters to see it again on March 1!
The premieres start at 7:00 PM on the night of the 25th!
Where can you buy tickets?
(Warner Bros.)
If you don’t know where the Fan First screenings are, don’t worry! You can check out theaters and timing on Fandango to see what theater near you has a premiere available. It’s pretty nice to have all your options in one place!
For the rest of fans who maybe don’t have a Fan First screening near them, you can get your tickets now for Villeneuve’s latest film when it hits theaters nationwide the following Friday.
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh.
LONDON—Eliciting loud gasps from spectators as he posed for photos, actor Timothée Chalamet stunned at the Dune: Part Two premiere Thursday night by wearing a metal saucepan on his head. “It was a daring fashion choice, but Chalamet certainly made a statement by donning a 3-quart All-Clad stainless steel saucepan on the red carpet,” said fashion critic Eric Jeffries, adding that the pan, which was a vintage 1995 model, covered his hair, eyes, and nose, making it difficult for the 28-year-old to see. “Although Timothée initially had trouble walking due to the pan obscuring his vision, he was ultimately able to pull off it off with confidence and panache. And to top it all off, he completed his cyborg-chic look with a whisk in his left hand and a big wooden spoon in his right. Fashion will never be the same.” According to reports the crowd at the premiere gasped when Chalamet changed into a big cardboard box covered in duct tape with the word “robot” written on the front.
LONDON – Zendaya is on a fashion roll, in a cyborg “Dune: Part Two” kind of way.
The co-star of the highly anticipated film sequel stunned Thursday at its world premiere when she hit the sand-strewn carpet in a silver robot suit straight from the archive of Mugler. It’s from the French fashion house’s fall/winter 1995 “Cirque d’hiver” 20th anniversary collection, according to a company statement.
That translates to “Winter Circus,” not unlike the fanfare surrounding the March 1 release of Denis Villeneuve’s second half of his sci-fi epic.
Zendaya’s body-hugging armor outfit with sheer plexiglass inserts has built-in gloves she paired with matching silver heels. Mugler gave special thanks to her stylist, Law Roach, in an email detailing the vintage look. While the runway version included a matching headpiece, Zendaya opted for a short sleek hairdo and a blue diamond necklace from Bulgari.
She was joined on the carpet by fellow stars Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin and Rebecca Ferguson, along with new cast members Austin Butler, Florence Pugh and Villeneuve.
The new film picks up where 2021’s “Dune” left off. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides unites with Zendaya’s Chani and the Fremen in order to seek revenge against those who killed his family members. Pugh, a newcomer to the world of “Dune” as the Emperor’s daughter, plays Princess Irulan with Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha.
Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Walken, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem round out the cast.
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Dune: Part Two, the upcoming sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 sci-fi epic based on the Frank Herbert novels, is releasing in just two weeks, but somehow the team behind it kept one major star’s involvement a total secret. During the February 15 world premiere in London, The Queen’s Gambit actor Anya Taylor-Joy appeared on the red carpet to confirm that she is, indeed, a member of the sequel’s cast. This came after an eagle-eyed Letterboxd user noticed that Dune: Part Two was listed under Taylor-Joy’s credits on the review aggregation app.
In Dune: Spice Wars The Spice Must Flow But Remember To Hydrate
Variety confirmed that Taylor-Joy is a part of the cast, which includes Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, and many more huge Hollywood stars. But, Variety refused to “spoil” who Taylor-Joy is playing, and it doesn’t appear that anyone else is willing to say who, either.
Except me. Dune novel spoilers below, but let’s be real, the book came out in 1965.
Anya Taylor-Joy is probably Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Two
First, an attempt at a brief Dune synopsis. In the far future, an interstellar society is comprised of noble houses whose fiefdoms are entire planets. The Atreides family, led by Duke Leto (played by Oscar Isaac in Dune: Part One), is ordered to take a harsh desert planet known as Arrakis as its new fief. Though the planet is virtually inhospitable, it is the only source of the highly sought after resource known as “spice,” a psychedelic drug that is used in space navigation. But as soon as the Atreides family arrives on Arrakis, it’s clear that they’ve walked into a trap set by the rival House Harkonnen, who wants to wipe them out entirely.
As seen in Dune: Part One, the Harkonnens’ plan results in Leto’s death, and forces Paul and his mother, Jessica, to flee into the desert. It’s there that they come into contact withe the Fremen, Arrakis’ native people who have learned how to thrive (not just survive) on the harsh planet. There’s a whole messianic thing that I can’t even begin to get into, but what’s important here in regards to Taylor-Joy is this: Jessica is pregnant, and submits to the “spice agony,” a ritual where she takes a deadly amount of spice. Because she’s with child, the baby is exposed to the spice in utero, and is born possessing all the knowledge of a fully grown adult.
Alia Atreides looks and sounds like a child, but is a full-blown Reverend Mother, the highest tier attainable amongst the Bene Gesserit (a matriarchal order that has religious and political power). In David Lynch’s Dune from 1984, Alia is played by a child actor, but I think (especially when seeing what Taylor-Joy wore to the premiere, and how it compares to what Alia wears in Lynch’s film) that Villeneuve has figured out a way to present Alia as an adult.
Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Timothee Chalamet (from left) in Dune. Ryan Stetz/HBO
Whether you want surprisingly funny family dramas, international excellence, or a refresher on one of the decade’s biggest sci-fi franchises, you’re in luck. From indies to blockbusters, these are the titles you need to watch before they leave streaming this month.
What’s leaving Netflix
The Farewell
While Lulu Wang’s star-studded series Expatsis still unfurling, why not watch the movie that catapulted the director into the mainstream? The Farewell stars Awkwafina as Billi, an aspiring writer who’s struggling to find work and her place as a Chinese American woman. When she hears that her beloved grandmother, Nai Nai, has been diagnosed with cancer, though, she drops everything to go see her in China. However, there’s another issue: the family is keeping Nai Nai’s diagnosis a secret from her, and a reluctant Billi must do so too. The Farewellwill be available to stream until February 29th.
Dune
After a lengthy, strike-related delay, Dune: Part Two is finally on the horizon. The second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic (out March 1st) features a sprawling cast (with new additions Austin Butler and Florence Pugh) on top of a dense mythos, so there’s no time like the present to catch up by watching Dune. Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul, heir to the House Atreides within the galactic empire, who must contend with political threats to his father (Oscar Isaac) and strange trials courtesy of his mother (Rebecca Ferguson). Along the way, he encounters friends and foes alike, played by Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, and Josh Brolin. Dunestreams through the end of the month.
What’s leaving Hulu
Paddington
As winter truly begins to wear on us all, it’s the perfect time to watch some of the coziest movies of the 21st century. Paddington and its sequel are the rare family movie franchise to truly appeal to all ages, from the title bear’s expertly animated cuddliness to the A-list actors who get to play cartoonish villains (Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, the latter in a BAFTA-nominated performance). Though sweet little Paddington gets himself into quite the precarious predicaments, his mantra of “if we’re kind and polite, the world will be right” always holds true. Paddingtonstreams until the end of the month, while Paddington 2is available through February 26th.
What’s leaving Max
Drive My Car
Layered, lengthy, and packed with a lot of languages, Drive My Car is one of the most daring dramas of the decade so far. The film follows a theater actor and director who discovers his wife’s infidelity before her untimely death. Bereft and unmoored, he decides to accept a theater residency that will have him directing a multilingual production of Uncle Vanya. Ultimately, it’s a movie about understanding, and how we may never be able to achieve it when it comes to those we love. Everything about the film is superb, and there’s a reason why the movie was nominated for four Oscars. Drive My Carstreams through the end of the month.
What’s leaving Peacock
Five Nights at Freddy’s
One of last year’s biggest horror hits is departing streaming later this month. Five Nights at Freddy’s became a smash success when it was released in theaters and on Peacock last October, bringing the thrills from the beloved video game to screens both big and small. Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike, a man so desperate for a job that he takes on a gig as a nighttime security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a family pizzeria-slash-arcade with plenty of skeletons in its supply closets. Before long, things begin to go bump in the night, leaving Mike to solve a decades-old mystery. Five Nights at Freddy’sstreams through February 25th.
The Descendants
While The Holdoverscurrently stands as a favorite at the Oscars, it’s far from the first time that filmmaker Alexander Payne has seen success with the Academy. In fact, he won his second Oscar in 2012 for The Descendants, a complex family dramedy. George Clooney stars as Matt, a man who’s inherited and attained great wealth (including a large swath of land in Hawaii), but all of that stability vanishes when his wife gets in an accident that leaves her comatose. He must grapple with his role as a cousin, a husband and a father to his two daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller). The Descendantsstreams through the end of the month.
What to Watchis a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
The end, it turns out, is not near. Without revealing any details from the finale of Dune: Part Two, fans of Denis Villeneuve’s ethereal space epic should enter it braced for something of a cliff-hanger rather than a full-on resolution to the saga of Timothée Chalamet’s futuristic warrior prince.
When Villeneuve set out to adapt Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, about warring factions on a valuable but desolate sand world, he cleaved the narrative neatly into two parts. Since then, he has openly speculated about also adapting Herbert’s 1969 sequel, Dune: Messiah, to transform the two-parter into a trilogy. In Dune: Part Two, which opens on March 1, Villeneuve creates a path to that next installment, but notes that this isn’t his own invention. It remains faithful to Herbert’s climax in the original novel.
“That’s how the book ends,” Villeneuve tells Vanity Fair. “The Dune book ends with the beginning of something that is out of control, and I thought this was a very powerful ending. I feel that both movies complete the adaptation of the book, and I feel very good about that. When people ask me, is there a world where I could do Messiah? Yes…”
The Messiah novel takes place 12 years after the conclusion of the first book, so Chalamet’s Paul Atreides may be hanging from that cliff for a while before the audience revisits his situation. “I will respect again Frank Herbert’s idea to jump in time. That’s what I would love to do,” Villeneuve says.
Although Villeneuve has cleared a path for that next installment, he’s not sure yet when he wants to make the journey in his own personal timeline. “I did Part One and Part Two back-to-back,” he says. “I remember that the next morning after the Academy Awards ceremony, I was having a chat with Jane Campion…[who had just won best director for The Power of the Dog]. Jane was saying to me, ‘Oh, I’m going on a retreat to meditate for a month now.’ Another director was saying, ‘I’m going on this island to have fun with my family for three weeks. I need a six-month break right now.’”
He and his wife, Tanya Lapointe, a producer of the Dune movies, had no such breather. “Tanya and I, we were going back to Budapest and our crew was waiting for us. We were in full pre-production. We didn’t have a second to rest between Part One and Part Two,” Villeneuve says. “I’m not complaining! I’m explaining that now I would just like to settle down a little bit and to think about how to approach a third chapter, the adaptation of Dune: Messiah, which makes absolute sense because it’s the end of the arc of Paul Atreides.”
Herbert wrote several other Dune novels, progressing through subsequent generations of his searing universe, but Villeneuve, who was a fan of the books as a child, finds himself most closely aligned with Chalamet’s character.
That doesn’t mean he intends to wait a dozen years to get back to work. The filmmaker says a break from Dune would help recharge his creativity and hopefully encourage him to take some bigger risks as the trilogy reaches its finale.
“I want to make sure that if we go back there a third time that it’ll be worth it, and that it would make something even better than Part Two,” Villeneuve says. “It needs to be different. I don’t want to fall into dogmas. I don’t want to fall into a vocabulary that has been predefined by the first two movies. I would love to make something different. We are figuring that out right now.”
The in-between time he seeks before returning relates mainly to producing and actually shooting a third Dune. Villeneuve admits that he has already started writing. “The screenplay’s in progress. I’m very happy where it’s going, but it’s not finished, and I don’t know how healthy it’ll be to go straight to Messiah right away,” he says. “It would be healthy to do something in between.”
One of the best things about the awards season is that there’s always sure to be something that takes you by surprise—e.g., one project could secure every single award or drama that ensues backstage (or sometimes onstage). But for Who What Wear editors, what always keeps us on our toes comes back to the moment when celebrities step onto the red carpet. We never know what people will wear, what trends will emerge, or what red carpet-looks will go viral. Sadly, though, in recent years, we’ve been in a bit of a dry spell when it comes to awards show style that, well, surprises.
Don’t get us wrong, we will always love a pretty red carpet look, but there’s something to be said about those willing to take risks, especially when you’re dressing up for an event as formal as the Golden Globes! It seems that so many celebrities are worried about whether they’ll land on the “best dressed” list that they forget to enjoy the getting dressed up part. However, that wasn’t the case with one star this year: Kylie Jenner. While one might argue she wasn’t necessarily “fully dressed” (wait until you see her ultra-sheer lace gown), nonetheless, her presence was a welcome shift from the sea of cliché gowns.
Many did not know Jenner would be in the audience at the Golden Globes since she did not walk the red carpet. However, she was there during the ceremony to support her beau, Timothée Chalamet, which quickly captured the attention of the internet. Although most of the buzz did surround the on-screen kiss they shared, we were more enthralled with their looks for the evening. Frankly, you won’t blame us once you see them for yourselves! Keep scrolling to see what Chalamet and Jenner wore to the Golden Globes…
Their relationship started super discretely, to the point where many of us didn’t believe the tabloids (maybe we were in denial, too). But as the awards season approaches, the biggest question on everyone’s lips is: Is Kylie Jenner attending the Golden Globes with Timothée Chalamet? It’s undoubtedly one of the most anticipated hard launches going into 2024.
On April 6, 2023, celebrity gossip Instagram account DeuxMoi posted an anonymous tip that claimed, “multiple sources have told me that Timmy C has a new girl…Kylie Jenner.” A week later, another gossip site cited evidence that they could be dating or seeing each other. TMZ captured pictures of Jenner’s car driving into Chalamet’s home in Beverly Hills.
To add to things, a source told People that Jenner and Chalamet “are hanging out and getting to know each other.” TMZ later reported that her car was spotted outside his house—it must’ve been after their taco date mentioned above. “Kylie wasn’t sightseeing either … her car pulled in from the road and drove straight up the winding driveway … in other words, she knew exactly where she was going,” the site reported. They were spotted speaking to and smiling at each other at Paris Fashion Week in a now-viral video of the moment, but this is the first time she’d been photographed at his place.
They were then spotted together for the first time, hugging and kissing in the VIP section of Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Those who were also in the VIP section included Kendall Jenner, Lori Harvey, Justine Skye, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Adele, Zendaya, and Kim Kardashian. A concertgoer captured the video moment where Chalamet caressed Kylie and they embraced in a kiss, per TMZ. In another clip, Kylie hugged Timothée from behind. But is Kylie Jenner attending the Golden Globes with Timothée Chalamet? Here’s what we can gather.
Is Kylie Jenner attending the Golden Globes with Timothée Chalamet?
Is Kylie Jenner attending the Golden Globes with Timothée Chalamet? We can only hope! It’s possible, of course, because in their first official event together, Kylie and Timothée attended WSJ Magazine‘s Innovators Award on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. While they didn’t walk the red carpet together, they were seated at the same table at were photographed smiling and laughing together.
Photo by Gotham/GC Images
Timmy is up for an award, too: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, for his performance in Wonka. He’s up against some tough competition, though, as the category includes Jeffrey Wright, Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Damon, Nicholas Cage, and Paul Giamatti.
Neither of them has commented on the relationship publicly, but in an interview with MTV, he made an offhand comment that people think was a cute reference to his girlfriend. When asked to reflect on his “best concert experience of 2023”, Timmy had seemingly forgotten that he was at Beyoncé: “I don’t know if I went to any concerts in 2023,” he said. The reporter chimed in: “You went to Beyoncé.” Tim started giggling and then said, “Oh, yes yes yes. That was great.” He added, “Hard to be present.”
Of course, fans went wild on TikTok because they knew exactly what he was going. “I assume that he meant he was distracted during the show bcs of Kylie being there,” one Reddit user said of Timmy’s comment. “This was cute! ‘Hard to be present’ at the concert. I really like him and Kylie together,” said another.
Things seem to be going well for the couple, according to insiders. “Things are going great between Kylie and Timothée,” a source told Us Weekly, adding that they’d been “spending more time together since they both have some free time during the holiday season.”
It’s been going on for months now. In what initially looked like your run-of-the-mill Instagram photo dump published by Kylie on June 14, 2023, there’s a photo in which Kylie is holding her baby boy on her hip, with one hand on top of her pinned-up hair. That’s where a few eagle-eyed fans noticed a small “hickey” on the side of her neck. “Am I the only one who peeps the hickey,” asked one fan Jenner’s Instagram comments section, to which another user replied, “what r [sic] they 12? .” Another wrote: “Uhm ms kylie, we see that hickey,” added another. “Is that a hickey on pic #5,” commented a third user. “hickies on her neck,” wrote a fourth.
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Wonka is winning the long New Year’s weekend box office race as a tumultuous 2023 comes to a close.
The Warner Bros. origin pic — starring Timothée Chalamet as young candymaker Willy Wonka — is on course to gross $31.8 million for the four-day holiday weekend, putting its domestic tally at a sweet $142.5 million through Monday. And it wasn’t the only musical from Warners to hit the right note. The Color Purple, produced by Oprah and Steven Spielberg, has been doing better-than-expected business since opening on Dec. 25, and placed No. 4 on the New Year’s weekend chart with an estimated $17.7 million for the four days. The film’s estimated domestic tally through Monday is an impressive $50 million.
Two weeks ago, box office pundits weren’t sure whether domestic revenue could clear $9 billion after a brutal fall season. But thanks in particular to mid-range and smaller films that overperformed over Christmas, revenue was able to eke past $9 billion in a post-pandemic era first. That marks a 20 percent gain over 2022. The bummer: Revenue is still down 20 percent to 21 percent from 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 crisis.
Wonka, which launched in mid-December, emerged as this year’s Christmas box office winner when Warners’ very own Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom sunk in its box office debut over the Dec. 22-25 weekend and failed to recover in a meaningful way even though it stayed high up on the chart. The DC superhero sequel is looking at a No. 2 finish over New Year’s weekend with an estimated Friday-Monday gross of $26.3 million.
That would put Aquaman 2‘s domestic tally through Monday at a lackluster $84.7 million — compared to $215.4 million earned by the first Aquaman through New Year’s Day over the year-end holidays in 2018. Both films were directed by James Wan and star Jason Momoa in the titular role.
After a sluggish start over Christmas weekend, Illumination and Universal’s Migration held in steadily for an estimated domestic total of $59.4 million through New Year’s Day after placing No. 3 for the long weekend with a four-day gross of $22.3 million. Its domestic total is ahead of the $55 million earned over the 2022 year-end holidays by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which topped out with a strong $186.1 million domestically. Globally, Migration has earned $100 million (it’s been soft overseas).
The Color Purple, from Warners and Amblin, got off to a dazzling start Christmas Day with $18 million, the second-best opening ever for a film launching Dec. 25 and the best since 2009, not adjusted for inflation.
Wonka and The Color Purple appear to reverse the musical curse of recent times, and their success is good news for Paramount’s upcoming Mean Girls and Universal’s 2024 Christmas event pic Wicked.
The troubled rom-com genre also got a boost with Sony’s edgy holiday entry Anyone but You, which rounded out the top five with an estimated $11.5 million for the four days to push its domestic tally to $27.6 million.
MGM and Amazon’s George Clooney-directed The Boys in the Boat followed at No. 6 on the four-day holiday chart with $11 million for an estimated domestic total of $24.6 million through Monday.
A24’s wrestling dramaThe Iron Claw placed No. 7 with an estimated $6.9 million for the four days. The Zac Efron-led pic’s cume through Monday is a pleasing $18.2 million.
Neon’s Ferrari placed No. 8 over New Year’s weekend with an estimated $5.2 million for the four days for an early domestic tally of $12.1 million. Like The Color Purple and Boys in the Boat, Ferrari opened Christmas Day.
It is said that one is supposed to get more jaded (read: wiser) with age.That’s obviously not so with director Paul King, best known to most as the writer-director of Paddington and Paddington 2. But to those who really know his style before it became obfuscated by the sugary sweet stylings of those two films, it was Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh that lifted King up the ranks of British pop culture. Indeed, those two works were undeniably his launching point for writing and directing his own full-length feature, Bunny and the Bull, released in 2009, two years after The Mighty Boosh ended (but that didn’t stop Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt from appearing in King’s debut).
By aligning himself with the “quirk” and “offbeat stylings” of these two series, perhaps it became too easy to forget that he didn’t write them. That his own sense of “quirk” and “offbeatness” was entirely different. Entirely more attuned to the, shall we say, saccharine. And while that trait worked quite well for Paddington and Paddington 2, when applied to Wonka, it’s liable to give anyone with working tastebuds a stomach ache. Alas, it appears as though few people have their sense of taste at all anymore, with critics largely praising the movie via such sentiments as “Chocolate Factory prequel is a superbly sweet treat.” Many also seem to think that eradicating all traces of Road Dahl’s signature brand of darkness and cynicism is just dandy. As many also thought the same about censoring his work and then reprinting it for the purposes of adhering to “sensitivity reading.” In fact, in the same review that calls Wonka a “superbly sweet treat,” it is also said, as though it’s a good thing, “Timothée Chalamet leads a beguiling cast in a backstory that rinses away all sourness from Roald Dahl’s embittered chocolatier.” Does anyone care that that’s actually the worst possible interpretation of Willy Wonka, “origin story” or not? And, if Wonka is the so-called origin story it claims to be, where exactly is the part that’s supposed to tell us how he eventually came to be the child-hating (though that’s just good sense) misanthrope that we see him as in Gene Wilder form? Or hell, even in Johnny Depp form (to be sure, it’s been a real surprise to find that Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is more redeemed now than ever as a result of Wonka‘s existence). What’s more, at least Depp’s Wonka had an actual origin story involving his father being an oppressive dentist who would never let him eat any candy, hence his adult enthusiasm for making it.
The absence of darkness (or what darkness there is being presented with a sense of “levity”) in Wonka begs the question: are people so starved for blind hope in the world that they can view the movie as a “much needed” beacon of light rather than taking note of how it not only eliminates the essence of Willy Wonka, but also inflicts a sort of terrified Pavlovian response every time one can feel another song coming on? Especially when it’s from Chalamet. To that point, there’s clearly a reason why the trailer for the movie did its best to conceal the fact that Wonka is a musical. Should viewers have expected that thanks to 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Perhaps. But one of many glaring differences between that version and this “companion piece,” as King calls it, is that the songs in the original film actually slap, while the ones in Wonka are either totally forgettable (save, of course, for the few they repurpose from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) or you wish they would please, god, please just end. This includes Calah Lane, who plays the “orphaned” Noodle, and Chalamet singing the ultra-cheeseball “For a Moment,” featuring such lyrics as, “For a moment/Life doesn’t seem quite so bad/For a moment/I kind of forgot to be sad.” Worse still are Wonka’s attempts at rhyming Noodle’s name with something, as he claims nothing rhymes with “Noodle” (clearly forgetting about “canoodle”), but, in truth, nothing rhymes with Wonka unless you turn “donkey” into “donka.” As in: Wonka sucks donka dick, and is a major insult to Dahl’s original character. One who would never, no matter how young and unjaded, sing, “Noodle, Noodle, apple strudel/Some people don’t and some people do-dle/Snakes, flamingos, bears and poodles/Singing this song will improve your moodle/Noodle-dee-dee, Noodle-dee-dum/We’re having oodles and oodles of fun.” If that doesn’t make one vomit into a bucket, it’s hard to know what will. Apart from King and his co-writer, Simon Farnaby (another The Mighty Boosh alum), incorporating a mama’s boy element into the script.
That’s right, of course Willy is suddenly a mother-obsessed man-boy who only dreams of making chocolate and selling it at the Galeries Gourmet because that’s what he told his mother (Sally Hawkins) he would do. She, in turn, promised she would be right at his side whenever he finally did. Unfortunately, her untimely death makes that all but impossible. That is, if this were a more realistic film. But again, as the critics have praised, Wonka utterly whitewashes and sanitizes everything for the sake of “effortless consumption.” Even the overt intermingling of Black and white characters at a time in history (“fantasy” or not) that wouldn’t have made it look so natural is yet another major signal of the movie’s overall sanitization. This being part of a larger trend in pop culture that might end up doing more harm than good in the long run as audiences are encouraged to pretend that racism never existed, and therefore doesn’t even exist now.
Nor does any trace of Dahl’s wryness. And sure, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will always have the unbeatable benefit of being adapted for the screen by none other than Dahl himself (though he later disowned the script after it was given an uncredited rewrite by David Seltzer and then altered by director Mel Stuart). Not to mention the dark edge of Wilder portraying Wonka. In Paul King’s version, it isn’t just the unbearably corny nature of everything that makes it insufferable, but also the dreadful miscasting of Chalamet (and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa, for that matter), who makes Wonka read like an impish, dick-gobbling (remember: Wonka sucks donka dick) twink. Really, it looks like he just ate a big mouthful of shit from someone’s arse every time you see him…which doesn’t do much to make the chocolate in the movie seem appetizing.
Beyond that issue, there’s the wielding of the town’s Chief of Police (Keegan-Michael Key) as a source of “comedy” for being fat. A big “no-no” in today’s world, and one of the many details that have actually been extracted from Dahl’s books (that is to say, even mere use of the word “fat”). Nonetheless, the Chief of Police is portrayed as a weak-willed fatso who becomes fat because he’s being paid off in chocolate bribes by the Chocolate Cartel (not exactly high praise or good PR for the candy biz). This group consists of Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Gerald Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Felix Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton), all clearly based off Boggis, Bunce and Bean, the greedy triumvirate from a different Dahl story, Fantastic Mr. Fox (which Wes Anderson did a far better job of adapting than King has done with Wonka). Another “nod” to a Dahl story is Noodle, so overtly the “Matilda figure” of this narrative. But rather than succeeding as a “heartfelt homage” to Dahl’s work, Wonka is more like a hodgepodge of saccharine candies you didn’t really want, but you guess you’ll gorge on them because they’re there.
I remember exactly where I was when I first watched it: the trailer for Challengers starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. That was my Super Bowl. It had everything: besties, bisexuality, and Zendaya in that Blonde bob.
I had waited months to finally get a glimpse of Zendaya’s collaboration with Luca Guadagnino. Ever since the film had been announced, we’d savored clips of Zendaya practicing her tennis game, Tomdaya strolling around Boston on location, and even her judgemental looks (and flawless courtside fashion) at Wimbledon and the US Open.
And just when we were on the precipice of a legendary press tour — that was supposed to include a stop at the Venice International Film Festival — it was taken away from us by the SAG strike.
Challengers was originally slated to premiere on September 15, 2023. Due to the strike, it was pushed back to April 26th, 2024. You can understand my devastation. Especially since Challengers was not the only casualty of the strike. Many films were pushed from late 2023 release dates and into 2024. Luckily, we had some bangers to close out the year. But we have been so brave and, in the new year, we are about to be rewarded.
2024 promises a slew of highly anticipated films. And not just delayed projects, but other cinematic delights that we’ve been waiting years for. And with the press circuit back and better than ever, we also have promotional interviews, red carpets, and more to look forward to. After Barbie put on a marketing masterclass, next year promises to take it up a notch. And I, quite frankly, cannot wait.
Here are some of our most anticipated titles in 2024:
Challengers, April 26
It goes without saying that I’ll be first in line when tickets are finally released. Join me to watch Zendaya play a retired tennis star in the middle of a years-long love triangle. All directed by the man who made Call Me By Your Name.
Dune: Part II, March 15
Speaking of delayed Zendaya projects, Dune’s long-awaited sequel is finally coming. Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya will be joined by Austin Butler and Florence Pugh — which is enough for me.
If you can’t wait until the Spring, don’t worry, Argylle will be out in February. It promises to be a hilarious take on the spy genre that subverts all the old tropes and cliches. It stars Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill. We’re in for a delightfully ridiculous treat.
The Fall Guy, May 3
Another comedic action film, The Fall Guy stars Ryan Gosling as a stunt man who becomes the hero of the screen when he has to save his ex, Emily Blunt. If you liked Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in The Lost City, you’ll love this.
Spaceman, March 1
Based on the book Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař, Adam Sandler is returning to dramatic roles with a movie that promises to be his next Uncut Gems or Punch Drunk Love. He stars alongside Paul Dano, Carey Mulligan, and Kunal Nayyar stars as an astronaut whose life unravels while he is on a mission.
Mean Girls: The Musical, January 12
While this might not be as giant as Barbie, this musical remake of the 2000s classic is already a hit. Starring Renee Rapp as Regina George, a role she has been playing on Broadway for years, I can’t wait to relive all the iconic Mean Girls moments on the big screen.
The American Society of Magical Negroes, March 22
Black satire is back in a big way. After the success of 2023’s American Fiction, I am excited to see another film that examines Black representation in pop culture. This satire stars Justice Smith as a man who enters a secret society of Black people who embody the “magical negro” trope.
Bob Marley: One Love, February 14
Biopics can be hit or miss, so fingers crossed that Kingsley Ben-Adir’s turn as Jamaican singer and songwriter Bob Marley hits the right notes. Produced in partnership with the Marley family, the film spotlights his life and career, including his political activism and fight for peace.
Mickey 17, March 29
One thing about me? I love an unsettling film — hence my devotion to Saltburn. Bong Joon-ho’s first movie after Parasite, Mickey 17, promises to fit the bill. It stars A-List weirdo Robert Pattinson in an adapted tale about a man who dies and is reborn with memories of his past life.
Deadpool 3, July 26
Deadpool 3 might be the last good Marvel movie we get because it’s looking pretty bleak for the next generation. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds team up for this tale of Deadpool and Wolverine. The summer blockbuster we deserve.
Kraven: The Hunter, August 30
Hear me out: Aaron Taylor Johnson. Marvel is trying their best to replicate the success of Joker with their own villain origin story. Kraven is a Spiderman villain but, more than that, I would like to reiterate: Aaron Taylor Johnson.
Joker: Folie à Deux, October 4
Following the Oscar-winning success of the first Joker , DC is hoping this sequel will save them from the despair of 2023’s The Flash. More than anything else, I’m curious to see Lady Gaga join Joaquin Phoenix as Harley Quinn.
Wicked, November 27
While movie-musicals have a spotty history (think: Cats and Les Mis), Wicked is so iconic I want to believe in it. It stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. The cast has already made headlines for Slater’s relationship with Grande — it’s giving Don’t Worry Darling presstour-levels of chaos already.
Gladiator 2, November 22
Will 2024 make me an action movie stan? If Paul Mescal has anything to do with it, it’s more likely than you think. Gladiator, the 2000 film starring Russell Crowe, spawned a generation of men thinking about the Roman Empire. Ridley Scott returns with this long-awaited sequel to hope he can strike lightning twice.
Whenever the subject of Timothée Chalamet comes up with my friends, I try really hard to pretend that I don’t find him just as attractive as everyone else in my friend group does, because it just feels like it’s too easy. Like, yeah, he’s adorable. He’s got sharp features that could easily cut the nice French cheese he probably eats on a daily basis. Got it, nice, moving on—what else?
Well, thankfully, there’s a lot else. While it’s fair to point out that he, like many young actors, is a product of nepotism, however mild, I truly acknowledge him as one of the most talented actors in our age group. He’s got a very distinct style and range, and he picks really interesting projects to work on. These are the projects highlighted in this list of Chalamet’s best roles.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
In the years since Call Me By Your Name was released, there’s been a lot of negative dialogue surrounding it, and for valid reasons. It does romanticize a relationship with an unhealthy age gap, and, consequently, an uncomfortable power dynamic. The days of gawking at “the peach scene” have passed and given way to a more critical analysis, and I understand where it’s coming from. Not even gonna get into all the Armie Hammer stuff, blech.
However, there still remains something to be said about just how authentically and beautifully Timmy sold this performance. It was his first major role in a film as an adult, and he took to it like a fish to water (or, rather, like a young Italian boy to disco). When I was younger, I was mainly excited for this movie because of Sufjan Stevens’ work on its soundtrack, but Timmy was the reason it stayed with me for so many years. He was able to come into his role so tenderly, it made you feel like you were the one in a riverside field, trying to articulate your feelings to someone for the first time. (Madeline Carpou)
Lady Bird (2017)
(A24)
I have a lot of love for Lady Bird, because it was my own Boyhood—i.e. it was my younger life to a T, almost unsettlingly so. And while I wasn’t brazen enough to pursue the pretty boy that made my inner thoughts a persistent nightmare to endure, I could definitely recognize who Timmy’s character in this movie was trying to be.
As soon as Lady Bird went into his bedroom, I found myself shaking my head, saying, “No, no, bad idea, he’s gonna wreck your shit.” And then he did. But as horrible a plot point as that whole situation was, it’s a testament to Timmy’s acting skills that he was able to play into the art-hoe-douche stereotype so bloody well.
(Especially since he high-key looks the part, but hey, don’t we all dress for some sort of role?) (M.C.)
Beautiful Boy (2018)
(Uploaded by user mclovin)
My god, this movie made me weep. It’s arguably the campiest movie on this entire list, and at times it feels a little heavy-handed in its emotional beats, but as someone who has experienced personal tragedies similar to the ones at the center of this film, I have to say that Beautiful Boy is as beautiful as its name implies.
And Timothee is at the heart of it all. While credit must absolutely go to Steve Carrell for his role as Timmy’s father, Timmy himself is able to play his role in an almost invasively accurate way. I had to pause the movie a couple times, just to collect myself, and even though I had a personal connection to the subject matter, I don’t believe it would have felt so devastating if it weren’t for how well Timothee embodied his role as Nic. (M.C.)
The King (2019)
(Uploaded by user fuckinggoodmovies)
Yes, yes, Robert Pattinson was a meme in this movie, and the movie itself was kind of a meme (albeit a damn good movie, don’t get me wrong). But where Timothee really shone was in how seamlessly he transitioned from his more typical roles (a somewhat feminine and sensitive character) into King Fucking Henry.
I say this as someone who hated reading Shakespeare in high school, and still finds conversations about Shakespeare annoying: Timmy nailed this shit and made this movie infinitely more interesting than it would have been otherwise. He was a subtle badass all the way through, and even from the very beginning, you could see his character’s potential to grow into the king he was meant to be. He just made this movie so cool, my family watched it three separate times in one week. (M.C.)
Little Women (2019)
Gotta admit, as much as I love Greta Gerwig, I wasn’t totally sold on Little Women like everyone else seemed to be. It felt a little choppy and fast-paced for as ambitious as it was trying to be, but all the actors did a phenomenal job, every single one of them. And of course, Timmy killed it as Laurie.
Dude, I fell in love with Laurie. That scene where he and Jo slipped off? Good god, it was almost too fan-fictiony for me, but I loved it. Sometimes you just gotta let the pretty boy lean into his natural role, and Greta really lets him loose in that regard. (M.C.)
The French Dispatch (2021)
(Uploaded by ONE Media)
And sometimes, you gotta tickle a young leftie’s heartstrings a little and make the pretty boy a collegiate revolutionary. Thanks a lot, Wes Anderson, I didn’t need anyone fueling my already woeful attraction towards these types of dudes. And thanks a lot, Timmy, for once again playing the part so damn well.
But in all seriousness, thank you Wes Anderson for giving the boy a chance to speak in his native tongue. There’s a lot to love about The French Dispatch and it feels unfair to call out just one good role amongst many, but Timmy did phone home with this one, and was only elevated further by Anderson’s superbly sophisticated writing. (M.C.)
Dune (2021)
Trust me on this. I have great intuition for things I know I’ll be impressed by. And part of why I haven’t watched Dune yet is because I know it’ll occupy all the space in my brain that I’m currently reserving for work, love, and Disco Elysium.
But I already know it’s damn good, and that Timothee is damn good in it. Tell me more in the comments, why don’t ya? (M.C.)
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Don’t Look Up fictionalizes the apathy people have about world-ending events. Scientists tell everyone a planet-ending asteroid is hurtling towards Earth. They can literally just look up to see it, but many don’t want to. As a chaotic towny teen named Yule, Chalamet provides a strange comic relief to the frustrating events unfolding.
He’s the kind of guy everyone has in their hometowns who thought they were cooler than they actually were. This guy may act tough, but he’s just a baby underneath his faux leather jacket. One of the funniest scenes is when he delivers an out of nowhere heartfelt prayer to his new friends as they share a final meal before Earth is obliterated. (D.R. Medlen)
Bones and All (2022)
Timothée Chalamet reunited with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino on Bones and All. Once again Guadagnino pulled a brilliant performance out of Chalamet, even though he played a supporting role to Taylor Russell’s main character, Maren. As Lee, Chalamet is a drifter who serves as a guide and love interest for Maren. Both Maren and Lee suffer from the same affliction that compels them to eat other humans.
Chalamet leans into the oddity of Lee. There’s something strangely sexual about the way he phrases eating another person. I became instantly obsessed with his crop tops and rope belt. He brought the character from the book to life while making Lee completely his own. (D.R.M.)
Wonka (2023)
Wonka tells the story of a young Willy Wonka trying to make his name in the chocolate business. Don’t trust the trailer, the movie is so much fun and enjoyable for audiences of all ages. Chalamet outdoes himself as Willy Wonka. He’s sweet, naive, charming, and maybe a little dumb. You can’t help but love him. He just wants people to share in his happiness while eating chocolate. It’s an admirable dream.
The most surprising part of Wonka for me was that Chalamet sings! His voice isn’t perfect, yet it fits the character so well. It’s earnest and clear while conveying all the deep emotions Willy feels on his journey. I kind of hope Chalamet decides to do more musicals in the future. Or maybe he could play a sleazy rockstar, I would enjoy that too. (D.R.M.)
Honorable Mentions: “Tiny Horse”
I’d watch a “Tiny Horse” movie. In any case, Timmy, if you see this: you were excellent on SNL and your eagerness to be good at this style of comedy only made you a more endearing actor to follow. Please consider hosting again, s’il vous plait. (M.C.)
“Giant Horse”
“Tiny Horse” was too good not to get a sequel. The year: 2057. Our heroes hide underground against the raging and world-ending force known only as Giant Horse. The only hope left is for one man to talk to his old horse friend, who used to be tiny. The power of friendship can save the world from a sci-fi dystopian future. There he is, my tiny horse. (D.R.M.)
If you’ve watched the new Wonka, you may be asking yourself… did Timothée Chalamet really sing in the movie? The actor, who plays the titular character, is involved in several musical numbers throughout the film—and he’s been candid about the experience ever since landing this major role.
During an interview on the red carpet with Extra, Chalamet—who has a background in theater—explained his family’s ties to the performing arts. “My mom is a dance teacher and my grandmother was a dancer, my sister’s a dancer, so I was always sort of around it,” Chalamet explained. “But there’s a big difference between being around it and having to do it.”
The Dune actor went on to joke about the singing that takes place in Wonka. “I tried. It’s a lot of Auto-Tune,” he quipped, before clarifying that he wasn’t being entirely serious. “No, I’m kidding!” he said.
Now, fans are still questioning if the voice they’re hearing in the film is really his. So, does Timothée Chalamet really sing in Wonka? Here’s everything we know.
Does Timothée Chalamet sing?
Image: Warner Bros/Courtesy of Everett Collection.
Yes, Timothée Chalamet sings—and Wonka isn’t his first rodeo when it comes to musical performances. During his time at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, the young actor played Oscar in the musical Sweet Charity, along with the Emcee in Cabaret. He has since showed off his singing abilities in the 2019 romantic comedy, A Rainy Day in New York.
As it turns out, these weren’t the performances that caught the eye of Wonka director Paul King. Back in high school, Chalamet put together a now-viral performance for his statistics class. In the video, which now has over 5 million views on YouTube, Chalamet is seen rapping and dancing while referring to himself as Lil Timmy Tim.
Wonka director Paul King saw Chalamet’s video and the rest, as they say, is history. “It was a straight offer because he’s great and he was the only person in my mind who could do it,” King told Rolling Stone in a July 2023 interview. “But 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.”
“So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well,” the Paddington director added. “And I knew that was in his arsenal, but I didn’t know how good he was. 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.’”
King has since compared Chalamet’s vocals to “White Christmas” singer Bing Crosby. “He’s got a beautiful singing voice,” he told Total Film for the September 2023 issue of the magazine. “The person it reminded me of was Bing Crosby. 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.”
Did Timothée Chalamet do his own singing in Wonka?
Given his musical experience, Chalamet did end up singing his own vocals in Wonka. The actor sings a total of six songs in Wonka, including “A Hatful of Dreams,” “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This,” “For a Moment,” “A World of Your Own,” “Sorry, Noodle,” and “Pure Imagination.”
While this wasn’t Chalamet’s first time singing for a project, he did admit in an interview with Vanity Fair that Wonka was a different experience altogether. “This was the most physically challenging project I’ve ever done,” Chalamet told the publication in December 2023. “I can’t say the singing and dancing comes easy. I’ve been around musical theater my whole life, and danced a little bit in high school, but this was on a different level.”
“It’s different doing it on film,” he continued. “You’ve got to keep being in the center of the frame while dancing, you’ve got to rehearse for months, you’ve got to be on for every take—take 12 and all the other takes—and dance with professional dancers, who are icing their ankles. That’s how serious they were taking it. So it was a big challenge.”
For Wonka, Chalamet spent three months in choreography boot camp learning dance numbers with different styles of dancing—including tap dancing, the waltz, and a flying sequence that saw him being harnessed in the air alongside his castmate, Calah Lane. The actor also did vocal training with British music supervisor James Taylor, along with vocal coaching with Eric Vetro, who has worked with stars such as Ariana Grande and the cast of La La Land.
“The thing about him is that he’s very, very naturally musical. He has a lot of music in him,” Vetro told People of Chalamet ahead of Wonka’s premiere in December 2023. “But what’s really special about him, he’s such a brilliant actor that he brings that side of his talent into the singing. So, he’s really singing as a character and bringing those songs alive.”
It wouldn’t be a Willy Wonka story without a performance of “Pure Imagination,” the song first sung and popularized by Gene Wilder in the original 1971 film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. For Chalamet, the song was an opportunity to honor Wilder’s performance. “Singing ‘Pure Imagination,’ that almost felt sacrilegious to go near, cause Gene Wilder does it so perfectly,” he told Vanity Fair in December 2023.
“Gene Wilder’s version is the best, as it should be, and the song is sort of the centerpiece of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” he continued. “But my version of the song is sort of the send-off in our movie. The song is the same, but the messaging is a little different.”
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The Timothée Chalamet-led Wonka scored an opening day gross of $14.4 million from 4,203 theaters at the Friday box office, putting it on course to earn $38 million or more in its North American opening.
That’s a promising start for a musical, a genre that has struggled in recent times. From Warner Bros. and Harry Potter franchise producer David Heyman, Wonka is a whimsical origin tale about the magical candyman Willy Wonka, who was played by Gene Wilder in the classic movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Audiences bestowed Wonka with an A- CinemaScore, while 60 percent of Friday ticket buyers were between the ages of 18 and 34. The largest quad was 18 to 24 at 33 percent, while another 10 percent of ticket buyers were between 13 and 17, underscoring Chalamet’s star status with younger moviegoers. Wonka is skewing slightly female so far, or 54 percent.
Directed by Paul King of Paddington fame and starring Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, the movie features a star-studded ensemble cast also including Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Calah Lane, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Natasha Rothwell, Rich Fulcher, Rakhee Thakrar, Tom Davis and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.
Wonka hopes to sing loudly throughout the holidays. This weekend always poses a challenge for moviegoing in that many consumers are occupied with gift-buying and other preparations, but traffic at the multiplex picks up in earnest once presents are unwrapped on Dec. 25.
Warners is dominating the year-end marquee. DC superhero pic Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens Dec. 22, followed on Christmas Day by The Color Purple, which is also a musical. On the family front, Universal and Illumination the original animated event pic Migration comes out on Dec. 22.
The musical genre has a checkered history of late, but Wonka (and Color Purple) hopes to reverse this curse and match the success of films including the Hugh Jackman-led The Greatest Showman, which debuted to dismal numbers over Christmas in 2017 but then took hold and amassed a fortune.
Wonka is one of the first Hollywood pics to unspool since the SAG-AFTRA strike ended. Warners and the filmmakers breathed a huge sigh of relief at being able to dispatch Chalamet to promote and publicize the PG-rated film. Young girls are particularly taken with the young actor, who next stars in Dune: Part Two, which Warners and Legendary delayed until next March so that Chalamet and co-star Zendaya would be able to do press.
On Friday, December 8, Nicki Minaj went back to her roots by releasing the second installment of her no-skips debut album, Pink Friday, with Pink Friday 2. The 2010 debut included radio hits like “Super Bass”, “Fly (feat. Rihanna)”, and “Moment 4 Life”, and went triple Platinum. So you could imagine the hype behind The Queen of Hip-Hop’s fifth studio album was surging to an all-time high…
Enter Gag City.
A few days before the album dropped, Minaj invited her army of Barbz to a pink utopia: Gag City. Named after the slang term, which we now use to indicate a loss for words, Gag City was every Barbie lover’s dream…that became an instantaneous meme.
X (or Twitter, whichever you prefer) took their own creative liberties alongside the help of AI to put virtually anything you could think of in Gag City. Most of the Gag City attendees are fan-approved queens who are worthy of Nicki Minaj’s approval, so obviously that includes the Starbucks Lemon Loaf. Unfortunately, others decided that Cardi B was denied entry to Gag City due to their 2018 New York Fashion Week brawl.
But there’s one ultimate Barb who was awarded the Golden Ticket to Gag City…and that’s none other than “Roman’s Revenge” cover rapper, Timothee Chalamet! Spotify made our new Wonka star the cover of their Teen Beats playlist as he enters Gag City, which is just about the highest compliment.
Spotify, who had their own mega-viral moment with the introduction of Sound Towns during the release of 2023 Wrapped last week, also announced on X that they were including Gag City as a new destination. The streaming platform is seemingly teasing a visit from Nicki Minaj herself, making their headquarters on X “#GagCity” and interacting with the Queen Barb.
Pink Friday 2 is already a hit album, but we already knew it would be. Minaj hit every mark, including star collaborations like J. Cole, Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, and Future, and she has even promised to release a new track everyday. The gift that keeps on giving, Gag City and Pink Friday 2 will always be famous.
Timothée Chalamet stars in the movie musical Wonka, a prequel that tells the origin story of the iconic chocolatier from Roald Dahl’s 1964 book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In the film, the Golden Globe nominee showcases his singing and dancing skills, bringing a fresh spin on the beloved candy-maker.
“This was the most physically challenging project I’ve ever done,” Chalamet told Vanity Fair at the movie’s Los Angeles premiere on Sunday. “I can’t say the singing and dancing comes easy. I’ve been around musical theater my whole life, and danced a little bit in high school, but this was on a different level. It’s different doing it on film. You’ve got to keep being in the center of the frame while dancing, you’ve got to rehearse for months, you’ve got to be on for every take—take 12 and all the other takes—and dance with professional dancers, who are icing their ankles. That’s how serious they were taking it. So it was a big challenge.”
Chalamet’s musical talents can be traced back to his time at New York City’s famed LaGuardia High School, where he played Oscar in the musical Sweet Charity and the Emcee in Cabaret. The Oscar-nominated actor previously showed off his vocal skills in 2019’s A Rainy Day in New York. For Wonka, he spent three months in choreography bootcamp with Tony winner Christopher Gattelli, learning intricate dance numbers that included a variety of styles such as tap, waltz, and a flying sequence that required him and costar Calah Lane to be harnessed in the air.
In addition to dancing, Chalamet did vocal training with British music supervisor James Taylor. He croons six original songs from songwriter Neil Hannon in the movie, and also performs a new rendition of “Pure Imagination,” first sung—and popularized—by Gene Wilder in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
“Singing ‘Pure Imagination,’ that almost felt sacrilegious to go near, cause Gene Wilder does it so perfectly,” said Chalamet. “Gene Wilder’s version is the best, as it should be, and the song is sort of the centerpiece of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. But my version of the song is sort of the send0off in our movie. The song is the same, but the messaging is a little different.”
Wonka, out in theaters December 15, follows a young and eager Willy Wonka, who moves to the city to pursue his dream of opening his very own chocolate shop after the death of his chocolatier mom (Sally Hawkins). Unlike the Gene Wilder movie and Tim Burton‘s 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake starring Johnny Depp, Wonka writer-director Paul King says his Wonka is cheerful and full of optimism.
“When we first meet Willy Wonka in the movie, he hasn’t really become the character that so many of us grew up with. But you feel there’s so much joy, love, and kindness in him,” said King, who also helmed the highly acclaimed Paddington movies. “He believes his dreams are possible and discovers who he is, but also finds a family. The theme of the movie is about the families that we are born into and the lasting impression they made, and the families that we find along the way. It’s really beautiful and bittersweet.”
“The movie is heartfelt and sincere,” added Chalamet. “These are the kind of movies that we need now, and it will leave a smile on your face.”
A Willy Wonka origin story wouldn’t be complete without an Oompa Loompa. Hugh Grant also appears in the film as Lofty, an 18-inch-tall orange Oompa Loompa with green hair who is tracking Wonka around the world. King previously worked with Grant on Paddington 2, and persuaded the British star to take on the role. He even got Grant to sing the “Oompa Loompa” theme song from the 1971 movie.
“I’m sure Hugh will give you a very grumpy answer, but the truth is, we really make each other laugh. I was able to say to him, I’ve got a small, malevolent character, which I think you would be glorious in playing, and he went for it after a four-hour turnaround,” said King. “He was keen. For a heartthrob, he was very happy to look ridiculous. I think it entertained him as much as anyone.”
King has crafted a world for Wonka that is fantastical, but the movie also boasts real, edible, and delectable chocolates. Gabriella Cugno, a real-life chocolatier from the set decorating and props team, created over 2,000 chocolates to be consumed onscreen by the actors in the course of the movie. All of her chocolates were completely hand-tempered and handmade with all -atural ingredients. She even observed dietary requirements and made vegan versions as well. Cugno also assembled edible flowers, mushrooms, tree bark and teacups.
“Every piece of chocolate that I ate was real, and all the chocolates were bespoke,” said Keegan-Michael Key, who dons a fat suit to play a chief of police who accepts payment in sweets. “So when you watch the movie, any piece of chocolate you see, it’s not wax. It’s not like they cut to a prop that looks like a piece of chocolate; the chocolatier made all of it. Sometimes, it was so delicious that I asked for an extra take.”
Wonka never gives up to achieve his dream in opening a chocolate shop, and Chalamet is emulating his onscreen character’s sincere, positive thinking. “I’m living my dreams today. I’m very grateful,” said the actor, who next appears in Dune: Part Two. “My dream is to continue to work and for good health for my family.”
Last year, I caused a bit of a ruckus by saying the fashion at The Game Awards was indicative of the industry’s identity crisis. I lamented the t-shirt and blazer uniform and begged the men of the industry to do better. And though I said this not long before the 2022 awards show was set to kick off, it was clear that even in those few days, gaming’s biggest names scrambled to make sure they pleased one relatively unknown woman from New York.
Ahead of this year’s awards, I offered unsolicited fashion advice to try and ensure the awards ceremony felt as glitzy and as glamorous as host Geoff Keighley wants it to be. I even dressed a few of the attendees myself. But despite all that, I wasn’t sure what kind of looks we’d see when The Game Awards 2023 livestream kicked off on December 7.
This year, I attended the awards in-person, and had quite a few people tell me face-to-face that I singlehandedly made the attendees step up their fashion game. There was so much style both on and off the stage at the Peacock Theater last night, with dozens of people donning sequins and sparkles and Barbie-pink gowns and bright suit sets and funky accessories and sky-high heels. It truly was a feast for the eyes. Hell, Geoff dressed so well this year that someone dropped an f-bomb on stage over it.
So, I decided, just like last year, to gather some of the best-dressed attendees of The Game Awards 2023. Some of them were on-stage, many were off, all were fabulous. Click through to see who made the cut. You’re all beautiful.
This week’s Saturday Night Live host, Timothée Chalamet, rode away with the show on his beloved tiny horse—in various costumes including a white boy rapper’s balaclava, a failed musician’s soul patch, and Troye Sivan’s little red undies. He rapped, he danced, he dapped, he read us a bedtime story, he broke after getting a spanking from Kenan Thompson’s Cornel West for being a naughty Smokecheddadaasssgetta. Somebody in wardrobe is already stitching this boy a five-timer smoking jacket because of how smooth and game a sketch comedy performer he is.
Chalamet took the steps down to the stage in one exuberant leap, looking beautiful in black and gold, equal parts curl and cheekbone. And now that the SAG strike is over, he was free to discuss more than his new perfume commercial for Martin Scorsese. “Come with me,” he beckoned to the audience in old-timey sing song, “and you’ll be in a world of shameless self-promotion.” Wonka Wonka Wonka Fandango Hugh Grant. Marcello Hernandez, the rising hunk of the cast, interrupted Chalamet with an invitation to switch gears. So from “Pure Imagination,” we seesawed to two guys rapping about how we shouldn’t be misled by their baby faces. “Childlike demeanor, but I’m full grown,” promised Chalamet. “I got trapped in her boobies, got my ass Home Alone!”
Later, we went behind the scenes of finding just the right narrator for the audio book of Britney Spears’ memoir The Woman in Me. (I would give just about anything for a transcript of the actual opening phone call from Michelle Williams’ agent pitching her the idea.) In rapid fire, SNL hit us with impressions of ingeniously absurd candidates. Hats off to Molly Kearney’s wordless, sheepish Kevin James. Cheers to Chloe Fineman’s Natasha Lyonne, though I’d have been just as delighted if the camera had merely lingered on the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts. Bravo to Bowen Yang’s Fred Schneider from the B-52s, shaking his maracas, and Fineman’s drowsy, mouth full of gum Julia Fox. But the trophy here goes to James Austin Johnson’s Werner Herzog, droning from under the sea about NSYNC’s fascination with hip hop culture. “I am entranced by this Floridian vernacular,” his Herzog sighed with affect.
You could feel a collective gasp rise from the beds and sofas of hipsters across the nation when Chalamet reunited with the Claymation horse he’d loved and lost in his original hosting visit. “There he is, my tiny horse!” serenaded Chalamet. Alas, Tiny Horse had exploded in size under the influence of an evil emperor bent on destroying humanity—using Chalamet’s cheekbones as lightning rods. Once the clay buddy was reminded of his pure and noble heart, peace and order were restored, and Tiny Horse was honored with his own bumper for the episode.
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