Entertainment Movies Children & Family Movies Timothée Chalamet Brings Whimsical Charm to the Chocolate Business in 'Wonka' Trailer — Watch "Wonka" is in theaters Dec. 15 By Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez is a Digital News Writer at PEOPLE. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor in Journalism. Before joining the team, she worked as an Editor at FanSided and provided work in the celebrity and lifestyle space for brands that include Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, EW, and more. People Editorial Guidelines and Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years' professional writing experience. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 11, 2023 12:04PM EDT Close Timothée Chalamet is serving up Willy Wonka's untold backstory in the first trailer for Wonka. The musical stars Chalamet, 27, as the eccentric chocolatier before opening the world's most famous chocolate factory. The film is inspired by the 1964 children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. In the trailer, Chalamet wears Wonka's classic attire — a brown top hat and purple velvet coat — as he is shown taking a small town by storm and transforming perhaps everything they know about the chocolate world for the better. One scene near the end shows Wonka speaking with an Oompa Loompa — played by Hugh Grant — as the orange being warns him he can't stop his famed song-and-dance routine, as it's already begun. Wonka is directed by Paddington director Paul King and written by Simon Rich. Aside from Chalamet and Grant, 62, it also stars Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Jim Carter and Matt Lucas, plus Sally Hawkins as Wonka's mother. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Timothée Chalamet in Wonka (2023). Jaap Buittendijk/Warner Brothers 'Wonka' First Look! See a 'Mischievous' Timothée Chalamet, Orange Hugh Grant in New Origin Story (Exclusive) Earlier on Tuesday, PEOPLE shared exclusive photos from the upcoming film along with an interview with director King, 44, in which he praised Chalamet as a "phenomenal actor" who was able to successfully put his own spin on the iconic character. "I think what's so remarkable about his performance is not only that he is funny and mischievous and quite mysterious, as well — just like the Willy Wonka that people will know — but also, he brings such heart to the role and he's a brilliant actor," the director said. "He's incredibly emotionally intelligent and can bring a great deal of emotional truth to the role," King added. The director said fans of Chalamet might be surprised that he "can also sing and dance brilliantly," on top of his acting chops. "It's really a tour de force for him there," King said of Chalamet's performance, adding, "He was rehearsing for months before we went to kind of that honing skills, which was a pleasure to watch." Timothée Chalamet and Hugh Grant in Wonka (2023). Jaap Buittendijk/Warner Bros. 'Wonka' Movie: Everything to Know The upcoming musical prequel marks the third time that the classic Dahl tale has inspired a feature-film treatment. The late Gene Wilder led the 1971 musical version, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, while Johnny Depp took over as the eccentric chocolatier in the reimagined version over three decades later. During the fantasy film's 50th anniversary in July 2021, members of the original Willy Wonka film told PEOPLE they were excited for the new iteration of the tale. "You can't kill the Willy Wonka story," said Peter Ostrum, who originally played Charlie Bucket as a child actor. "So all of it is good. It's a great story. And people enjoy whatever different version they're watching; it's fun to watch." Wonka is in theaters Dec. 15.