Reimaginings of treasured classics seem to be Hollywood’s new key to success.
Its a tale as old as time at this point — nearly every successful story, from Disney staples to Dune, The Mummy, and all those endless Peter Pan remakes, have seen a renewed attempt at monetization. In some cases, its a worthy attempt to reinvigorate a story with modern technology, but in others *coughDisneycough* its a blatant cash-grab.
Regardless of the reasoning, the next few years will see a spate of childhood favorites return to our screens with fresh actors and updated approaches. Wonka is just the most recent example — soon it will be joined by the new Harry Potter series, Warner Bros.’ return to Middle Earth, and the new Chronicles of Narnia, to name a bare few. The 2020s seem to be the era of the remake, but all those re-imaginings will never erase the treasured originals.
Where to stream every Willy Wonka movie so far
The movies that made us love the likes of Willy Wonka will always hold a special place in our hearts, even as fresh remakes clue us into previously unexplored characters, timelines, and origin stories. Long before Timothée Chalamet was donning the classic top hat, it was worn by other staples of the big screen. This is not to say I’m not looking forward to his interpretation of the character, but before you soak up an eyeful of Chalamet’s wild and wacky Willy Wonka, I advise you enjoy the performances that came before.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
The very first on-screen interpretation of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory followed the 1964 book release by just a few years. Just over a half-decade after the book hit shelves, Gene Wilder was bringing us the very first — and, to many, very best — interpretation of the titular Willy Wonka in 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Many of us grew up watching the classic film, and we can continue to do so today thanks to the ease of streaming. The film is available to enjoy by anyone with a subscription to Max, where it’s streamable for free.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
More than three decades after the first film was released, the first Wonka-themed remake was arriving in theaters. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory released back in 2005 with a sleek and stylized reimagining of the beloved story, earning middle of the road reviews but plenty of praise from critics. Not everyone is a fan of Johnny Depp’s take on Wonka — including Gene Wilder himself — but there’s no denying that he delivered a memorable performance. The somewhat-psychedelic flick joins its predecessor on Max, where anyone with a subscription can enjoy the movie in full.
Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (2017)
You weren’t expecting this one, were you? To be fair, I heard of the Tom and Jerry take on Willy Wonka for the very first time while researching this article, so any of you just learning of it now are in great company. It certainly didn’t earn the press of 2023’s Wonka, but there was a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory release between Depp’s 2005 release and Chalamet’s 2023 origin story. The 2017 Tom and Jerry version of the film is essentially an animated remake of the 1971 Gene Wilder version, just with Tom and Jerry tossed in.
It honestly sounds like a fever dream, and I can’t wait to watch it. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be doing so anytime soon, since the film is (tragically) unavailable for most streaming audiences. It is available to rent or buy from places like Xfinity, Vudu, or Amazon — unless, of course, you count yourself among the exceptionally rare Boomerang subscribers. Those lucky few actually have access to the flick for free, but the rest of us have no choice but to shell out several bucks to rent it — or simply pass the film by.
Wonka (2023)
Wonka officially releases to theaters on Dec. 15, so its streaming debut is still a few months off. Anyone eager to catch sight of Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka can do so when the film arrives in theaters later this week, or they can patiently await the flick’s streaming debut. The release, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is a Warner Bros. project, which will eventually see it join its predecessors on Max. Based on the typical timeline of releases from theaters to streaming, the film should be landing on the streaming service by the time spring of 2024 comes to a close.
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