\n<\/p>\n
The cinematic history of <\/span>Willy Wonka<\/a> is rich and layered, and\u00a0<\/span>Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a> is excited to be adding to the pop-cultural tapestry of the iconic, magical chocolatier in <\/span>Wonka.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Chalamet and co-star <\/span>Hugh Grant<\/a> sat down with ET’s Cassie DiLaura during a press day in London on Wednesday, and the 27-year-old star opened up about “crazy” it feels getting to play the iconic character\u00a0— which has famously been portrayed by Gene Wilder in\u00a0<\/span>Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory<\/span><\/em> in 1971 and by Johnny Depp in 2005’s <\/span>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n “I grew up on that Gene Wilder film, and I’m hugely admiring of the Tim Burton\/Johnny version,” Chalamet said. “And this [version] is different. This is the origin [of] Wonka.”<\/span><\/p>\n “It’s not <\/span>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,<\/span><\/em>” Chalamet explained. “People are suspicious of any new retelling of beloved characters. But I think Paul King, our director, pulled this one off. I’ll let people judge for themselves.”<\/span><\/p>\n