The Creative Way Timothée Chalamet Honored the Wonka Source Story

Summary

• Wonka has become one of this year's most successful movie releases.
• The star of the film has paid tribute to the original story by creating a very special fan attribute.
• The sneakers are meant to represent a classic Wonka & The Chocolate Factory feature.

It's only been a few days since Wonka premiered, but it's already proven to be a massive hit, grossing a whopping $150 million at the box office and recouping its budget. As such, Paul King's film has earned a place among 2023's top releases, such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Fast X. And it looks like it's only starting to gain momentum.

A prequel to the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Wonka follows the titular character in his youth as he is driven by ambition to achieve success as a chocolatier. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Paul King's latest release is the ultimate treat (pun intended). And apparently, the actor is a fan of the original story, because he's found a very unusual way to honor it.

Timothée Chalamet's Collaboration with Nike

As part of the Wonka promotion, Timothée has participated in the creation of unique Nike sneakers, which he affectionately refers to as the 'Wonka Dunks.'

The Wonka-inspired sports shoes are reminiscent of his character. But more importantly, they serve a symbolic role as the modern-day equivalent of the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory feature – the golden tickets won by several children, including Charlie.

'The idea came from the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where there's five golden tickets. And our [Wonka] movie doesn't have that. I don't want to give anything away, but I thought, you know, how special would it be [to reference that]? You know, because sneakers are sort of the golden tickets. I don't know if this is going to resonate with anyone. This will resonate with a couple of sneakerheads here. But you know, sneakers are like the golden tickets of the modern world in some way,' Thimothée Chalamet said in an interview.

What Likens the Sneakers to the Golden Tickets?

As nice as this metaphor sounds, it doesn't really make sense – unless you know how special these sneakers are. Then there's a feature that makes the comparison between the sneakers and the golden tickets transparent.

'You know, it just felt like a good idea for the movie. You can't buy them. You got to win them from a contest. You know, you got to submit a creative [work],' Chalamet added. 'There are five pairs, and then I begged them for a pair. And Zendaya gets a pair because she's awesome.'

Unfortunately, the actor didn't elaborate on what kind of contest that would be. So, we are patiently waiting for details.

Source: YouTube.