Wonka's Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Triumphs Over Gene Wilder & Johnny Depp's Versions

The Success of Wonka

Wonka has become a surprising treat among holiday cinemagoers, as viewers rate it as higher than both Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp's takes on Roald Dahl's eccentric chocolatier through Rotten Tomatoes audience scores. The feature reunites Paddington director Paul King and writer Simon Farnaby to tell the past of the businessman from the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet stars as the younger Wonka, who sets out to make a name for himself amongst the high-profile candy tycoons of Europe, outmaneuvering con artists and hostilities from cut-throat businessmen with close friends to fulfill a promise.

Wonka watching Noodle try a chocolate in the Wonka movie

With Wonka proving to be a hit for Chalamet at the box office, audiences have taken to Rotten Tomatoes to share their thoughts on King's latest family movie. After accumulating a score of 83% from critics' aggregated reviews, Wonka's audience score has shown that audiences have similarly been delighted and awarded the feature a score of 90%, aggregated from over 1000+ responses. Wonka's score places the movie higher than both 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which each hold 87% and 51% respectively.

Could Wonka's Success Cook Up Enough Interest For A Sequel?

Wonka has so far surpassed its budget and defied early projections at the box office, currently earning $177.2 million worldwide on a budget of $125 million. While it has yet to break even, positive word of mouth and families looking for the perfect movie for all ages to take children to during the seasonal break could allow King's wholesome hit to have strong legs going into the new year, ensuring it could make a profit and become one of 2023's notable successes. With the potential of becoming a success for Warner Bros. Discovery, viewers may wonder if a follow-up on Willy's rise to fame could be in the works.

In the final moments of Wonka, Willy sets out to fulfill his mother's (Sally Hawkins) final request of him, sharing his chocolate creations with the world and helping Noodle (Calah Lane) reunite with her family. After outwitting and exposing the corrupt Chocolate Cartel and settling the debts that he had been tricked into, Willy purchases his factory, setting him up to rise to the fame he held in the events of the original novel. While not a direct prequel, Wonka was written to act as a companion piece to the 1971 movie through many connections and callbacks to it, meaning Wonka's later life has already been depicted on-screen through Wilder's portrayal.

The Charisma of Wonka and its Future

Though Wonka may not be guaranteed a sequel, it is undeniable that the feature has charmed audiences. While viewers were skeptical of whether Chalamet's chocolatier could stand alongside Wilder and Depp's takes on the character, the 2023 movie has proven to be the perfect feature to bring the year to a close. As Wonka surpasses the two prior adaptations' scores, the movie has a greater chance of reaching a gross of $250 million which will deem it a surprising success for Warner Bros. Discovery.