Wonka director talks about casting Hugh Grant as Oompa Loompa

The first magical Wonka trailer may give us the best look yet at Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka, but there’s one thing people are talking about: Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa.

When the trailer was released at CinemaCon earlier this year, it was revealed that Grant would appear in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel as an Oompa Loompa. However, it’s one thing to hear about it and another to see it for yourself.

Speaking at a trailer preview event that The digital spy attended, writer/director Paul King explained why he cast his Paddington 2 villain in “the smallest role he’s ever played”.

“It was just going back to the books again, like the Oompa Loompas — they mostly sing in the original book, there’s not really any dialogue for them — but they have these great long poems where they talk about children,” King said.

“They are incredibly sarcastic and judgmental and cruel and very Roald Dahl-y about these kids. They really don’t hold back. So I was really thinking about that character who could be a real piece of shit, and I was like, “Ah Hugh.”

“He’s the funniest, most sarcastic piece of shit I’ve ever come across, and it was really nice to put him in the movie.”

We’re pretty sure King meant it affectionately, and if Paddington 2 proved anything, it’s that Hugh Grant could be a perfect match for King’s dry humor.

While there’s only a hint in Wonka’s first trailer, King also confirmed that Grant will have at least one song and dance number in the new film. We’re sure Phoenix Buchanan would agree.

Back at CinemaCon, Chalamet revealed that working with Grant was a “dream come true” and called seeing him as the Oompa Loompa a “trip.”

We can definitely agree on that now.

Wonka will be released in theaters on December 15th.

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