How To Watch Wonka, Starring Timothée Chalamet, At Home
Paul King's 2023 musical "Wonka" served as a prequel to Mel Stuart's 1971 film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," more than as an origin story extrapolated from Roald Dahl's 1964 novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." "Wonka" employed the same costumes, musical themes, and characters from Stuart's film, but suffused them with color, whimsy, and lightheartedness that was absent from Stuart's film. "Wonka," like the magical confections constructed by the titular chocolatey alchemist, is a fizzy, sweet delight. Despite being born of nostalgia-grabbing cynicism (recall how over-marketed Stuart's film has been to the world's jaded Gen-Xers), director King managed to build an enjoyable, featherweight romp set in a delightful world of powdery sugars and hidden romance. It's no wonder that "Wonka" has earned over half a billion dollars worldwide.
"Wonka" opened in North American theaters on December 15, 2023, and it is still playing in some markets. As its theatrical run slows, however, home video audiences may now gear up for its eventual streaming/rental release, likely unleashing a new wave of attention and/or appreciation and/or stern analysis from an even wider audience. Will "Wonka" remain beloved, or will its availability at home instigate a new round of criticism?
/Film's Ethan Anderton praised the whimsy of "Wonka," but was unimpressed by Timothée Chalamet's lead performance. Perhaps he suffers in being compared to Gene Wilder who played the part in Staurt's film.
We shall soon find out. According to a new press release, "Wonka" will be made available for digital purchase and digital rental on January 30, 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery has also announced that it will begin streaming on Max on Friday, March 8.
Where to find it
Starting on January 30, "Wonka" will be purchasable from the outlets Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and several others. It will cost a viewer $24.99 to buy and $19.99 to rent for 48 hours. The $19.99 rental price is still steep, but will still be a bargain for large families who want to watch it multiple times, or who arrange viewing parties with other families. "Wonka," because it is so frothy, may be a good sleepover movie. At least for the sleepovers where "Barbie" isn't being screened for the 12th time.
Doubtless the rental price of "Wonka" will eventually drop, although that will likely take a few more months.
On February 27, 2024, "Wonka" will be made available for purchase on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD. The pricing on the various discs has not yet been announced. In the scattered and unstable world of streaming availability, physical media may be the smarter investment. They also have a lot of fun behind-the-scene information one doesn't always get with digital downloads.
The discs will include a panoply of special features which include a "deep dive" with director Paul King called "Unwrapping Wonka: Paul King's Vision." Other short making-of documentaries will be part of the home video release, including "The Whimsical Music of Wonka" (an interview with composer Neil Hannon), "Welcome to Wonka Land" (a look at Nathan Crowley's production design), "Hats Off to Wonka" (a look at Lindy Hemming's costume design), and "Wonka's Chocolatier" (an interview with real-world pastry chef and chocolatier Gabriella Cugno, who helped design the film's fantastical candies).
In addition to the "Wonka" purchase price, one might also want to budget for some candy to eat while viewing. You'll want some chocolate before the film's end.