How many Willy Wonka movies are there? Explained

Willy Wonka is an iconic character who features prominently in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a book by Roald Dahl, and its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

The chocolatier enjoys a dedicated fan following with his intriguing one-liners and eccentric mannerisms. Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp previously played the "little man" with a goatee on the big screen, adding a new dimension to his popularity.

Fans are now set to get a closer look at his rise as a world-renowned industrialist with Wonka, which serves as his origin story. The musical drama features Timothée Chalamet in the titular role and is slated to open in theaters on December 15, 2023.

The film's cast includes known names such as Matt Lucas, Keegan Michael Key, Tom Davis, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, and Rowan Atkinson. Directed by Paul King, Wonka is produced by David Heyman Alexandra Derbyshire, and Luke Kelly.

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How many Willy Wonka films are there?

This is the fourth installment of the film series, which began in 1971 with the Gene Wilder-led Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The film was directed by Mel Stuart and proved to be a commercial success, grossing $ 4 million on a budget of $ 5 million.

This was followed by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which hit screens in 2005. The musical fantasy drama features Johnny Depp as Wonka and Freddy Highmore as Charlie Bucket.

The film collected $475 million worldwide on a budget of $150 million, emerging as a massive hit. However, critics were divided over Depp’s performance. It was directed by Tim Burton, who had previously worked on films such as Batman (1989) and Sleepy Hollow (1999).

Following this, Warner Bros. tried to take the franchise in a new direction with the animated crossover film Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which was released in 2017.

However, the film failed to impress critics who felt that there was no point in including the iconic cat and mouse duo in the story. The voice cast included JP Karliak as the founder of Wonka Chocolate Factory, Spike Brandt as Tom and Jerry, and Lincoln Melcher as Charlie.

Interestingly, these films have standalone stories with little in common with the previous installments. This is particularly true for Wonka as it is based on Dahl’s drafts which never saw the light of day.

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Which Willy Wonka film is the best?

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is widely regarded as the best installment of the saga. It holds an approval rating of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 56 reviews.

The critics consensus reads:

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is strange yet comforting, full of narrative detours that don't always work but express the film's uniqueness"

The 1971 film is followed by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which has an approval rating of 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 228 reviews. The critics consensus is that it stays faithful to the source material.

“Closer to the source material than 1971's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is for people who like their Chocolate visually appealing and dark”

However, Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory failed to live up to the standards set by the previous films. It has an audience rating of 40 percent based on 50 ratings. However, the critic consensus is unavailable as there aren’t enough reviews.

Wonka, meanwhile, holds an approval rating of 79 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 58 reviews but the critics consensus is unavailable. Fans can expect it to be updated once more reviews are in.

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Are there more Willy Wonka films in the works?

Paul King recently said that Wonka won’t be setting up a sequel as it’s a standalone story. However, he did not rule out the possibility of taking the franchise forward.

“Dahl was definitely interested in taking Willy Wonka on. There’s drafts that didn’t really go anywhere, and there’s a short story. He didn’t really write sequels, but this was the one book where he clearly felt there was more in the tank there,” he told Total Film Magazine.

Wonka, meanwhile, is set to release in theaters in the US on December 15, 2023.