5 Timothée Chalamet movies to watch before Wonka

Timothée Chalamet is undoubtedly one of the most promising and talented young actors in the industry right now. The actor made his debut with commercials and short films before appearing on Law & Order, a police procedural series on NBC.

However, his breakthrough role came in 2017, in Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name. Timothée Chalamet has since appeared in multiple popular films and garnered a name for himself.

Timothée Chalamet is set to appear in the titular role in the upcoming musical fantasy from Warner Bros. Pictures, Wonka. Paul King is set to direct the film with a screenplay written by Simon Farnaby and King, basing it on the character from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Paul King's Wonka will act as a precursor of sorts to Tim Burton's 2005 film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Timothée Chalamet will be playing a younger version of Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka and bring forth the story of how the greatest chocolatier came to be.

The official synopsis for the film reads as follows:

"...“Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today."

Wonka is set to arrive in theaters on December 15, 2023. However, if you want to watch Timothée Chalamet in action right now, then we have curated the perfect list for you. In this article, we list out some of our top picks of films starring Chalamet for you to check out while waiting for Wonka to release.

Dune, Call Me by Your Name and 3 more Timothée Chalamet movies to add to your watchlist

1) Dune

Dune is an epic sci-fi from the house of Warner Bros. Pictures that was released in 2021. Denis Villeneuve directed the film with a screenplay written by Jon Spaiht, Eric Roth and Villeneuve himself. The film is based on Frank Herbert's 1965 novel of the same name and also takes inspiration from the 1984 cinematic adaptation by David Lynch.

The film starred Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Sharon Duncan-Brewster and others in pivotal roles. Dune was a critical and commercial success, even spawning a sequel that is set to release later this year.

The official synopsis for the film reads as follows:

"A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people."

It adds:

" As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive."

2) Call Me By Your Name

Call Me by Your Name (Image via Sony Pictures Classics)

Call Me by Your Name is a coming-of-age romantic drama from the house of Sony Pictures Classics. Luca Guadagnino directed the film with James Ivory working on the screenplay, which was based on André Aciman's 2007 novel of the same name.

The film cast Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer in the lead alongside Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, Victoire Du Bois and others in pivotal roles. Call Me by Your Name premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival where it received critical acclaim for its direction, screenplay, performances by the lead and curated soundtrack.

The official synopsis for the film reads as follows:

"It’s the summer of 1983 in Italy, and Elio, a precocious 17-year-old, spends his days in his family’s villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading and flirting with his friend Marzia. "

It adds:

"One day, Oliver, a charming American scholar arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father, an eminent professor. Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever."

3) Little Women

Little Women is a period coming-of-age drama from the house of Sony Pictures. The film is written and directed by Gretta Gerwig on her second solo directorial venture and is based on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel of the same name. The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in 2019 where Gerwig's work received widespread acclaim.

The film cast Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, James Norton and others in pivotal roles.

Sony's official synopsis for the film reads as follows:

"Writer-director Greta Gerwig has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author’s alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig’s take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on her own terms -- is both timeless and timely."

4) Bones and All

Bones and All is a romantic horror offering from the house of MGM Pictures. Another film directed by Luca Guadagnino, its screenplay is written by David Kajganich with inspiration from Camille DeAngelis's 2015 novel of the same name. The film made its debut at the prestigious 2022 Venice Film Festival, where it garnered two awards.

The cast featured Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet in the central roles alongside Mark Rylance, André Holland, Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny and others in supporting roles. The performance by the leads, cinematography and cross-genre approach received explicit praise from the critics.

The official synopsis for the film reads as follows:

"Bones and All is a story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter; a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that cannot abide who they are."

5) The King

The King is an epic period war film from the House of Netflix. David Michôd directed while working on the screenplay with Joel Edgerton which had its inspiration from Shakespeare's Henriad group of plays. The film premiered at the 2019 Venice Film Festival before being made available for streaming on Netflix later that year.

The epic featured an ensemble cast that included the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, Tom Glynn-Carney, Gábor Czap, Edward Ashley and others in pivotal roles. The film itself received generally positive feedback, other than its inaccuracy to its source material or history itself.

Its synopsis on Venice Film Festival's website reads as follows:

"Hal, wayward prince and reluctant heir to the English throne, has turned his back on royal life and is living among the people. But when his tyrannical father dies, Hal is crowned King Henry V and is forced to embrace the life he had previously tried to escape. "

It adds:

Now the young king must navigate the palace politics, chaos and war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life—including his relationship with his closest friend and mentor, the ageing alcoholic knight, John Falstaff."

These are some of our top picks of films that star Timothée Chalamet.

Timothée Chalamet in Wonka (Image via Warner Bros.)

If you love watching him on the big screen, then be sure to check these films out before catching him in the upcoming Warner Bros. musical fantasy, Wonka.

Wonka is set to release in theaters at the end of the year on December 15, 2023.

Edited by Vinay Agrawal