by Liz Wiest, Conributor

A half a century later, audiences of all ages are in for a scrumdidlyumptious treat as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory gears up for a 4K 50th anniversary re-release. 

For those who may need a little refresher, the film follows Charlie Bucket, an unassuming impoverished kid in England whose life is turned upside down when he finds one of Willy Wonka’s coveted golden tickets and gets to attend an exclusive tour alongside four rotten children to the most magical chocolate factory in the world run by an elusive candy-making genius. But, unbeknownst to any of them, Wonka is secretly attempting to find a deserving heir to his confectionary empire. (Spoiler alert: Wonka’s legacy all goes to Charlie in the end, all for essentially being the most righteous, or least terrible depending on how you look at it). 

Following the year we’ve had, movie buffs and normies alike are celebrating the return of the cult classic and some pure imagination being brought back into our lives. The cast of the film themselves even reunited to talk about working on one of the most iconic movies in the world, and while none of them went on to have major acting careers, they all concurred that it was nothing short of sweet to have been a part of something so memorable and maintain that they all went on to stay as close as a family.  

In addition to the re-release, alongside the anniversary came the timely announcement from Deadline of an origin movie in development starring Timothee Chalamet.  The prequel, Wonka, has booked Paul King to direct, Luke Kelly, Michael Siegel and Alexandra Derbyshire to produce, and is set for a March 2023 release date. According to sources, the newest installment in the Wonka universe will be the most Roald Dahl-ian film yet, and will introduce characters and storylines surrounding the titular character that audiences will love to sink their teeth into. 

Naturally, the internet began buzzing instantly. Fan anticipation is high for the latest iteration of the iconic character which will surely add a whole new dimension to the “Who played him best?” debate, given that many die-hards of the original film still maintain a heated disdain for the 2005 Tim Burton Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reboot (my personal favorite), that the late Gene Wilder himself outwardly had strong negative opinions on. But from Wilder to Johnny Depp, the amazing chocolatier has become a pop culture icon that resonates with many, and whether or not it’s just another attempt at recycling IP, at the very least, it will keep the beloved story in the zeitgeist once more. And while the internet has been very vocal about its fatigue from origin story announcements, there seems to be a unanimous morbid curiosity about this one if just from the Chalamet casting announcement alone. With the controversial resurgence in the popularity of the movie-musical, it will be interesting to see how this one fairs. 

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is set for re-release on 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray and digital on June 30, 2021.