Timothee Chalamet's Wonka looks a bit like a certain Jim Henson muppet – and, uh, we agree.
A Twitter user provided a side-by-side comparison between Chalamet's wardrobe in the upcoming musical prequel and Gonzo the Great in The Muppet's Christmas Carol... and it's rather uncanny. Both Wonka and Gonzo are wearing a brown top hat (that's seen better days), a burgundy coat with sleeves just short enough to get a glimpse at their white undershirts, and a similarly knotted neck scarf. Even more odd, the vest under Wonka's coat bears the same yellow-and-blue color scheme from Gonzo's scarf.
While it's entirely possible that the outfit similarities are just a coincidence, both Wonka and The Muppet Christmas Carol do take place in the same Victorian/Edwardian time period. A quick Google search will tell you that Wonka is meant to serve as a prequel to the 1971 Gene Wilder film, but director Paul King (Mr. Paddington himself) says the film is meant to be more of a companion piece to film, rather than a direct prequel.
stole his entire fit pic.twitter.com/EUVpzlM9NqJuly 12, 2023
The Muppet Christmas Carol, directed by Jim Henson's son Brian, premiered in 1992, and is a Muppet retelling of Charles Dickens' classic tale. Gonzo serves as the narrator for the film, starring as Dickens himself. Given that the original story takes place in 1843, this was very much the Victorian era – and Gonzo's attire reflects that. We don't blame the Wonka costume team for taking inspiration: it's a great fit.
The Gene Wilder-let film was the first adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with the studio deciding to put Willy Wonka in the title instead as to sound more exciting and mysterious for moviegoers. The costume design includes the signature top hat, but with a purple velvet jacket, a green bowtie, and a floral vest. Tim Burton's 2005 reimagining put Wonka in a black top hat, nixed the bowtie, switched the jacket to a darker burgundy, and added some leather gloves. It's safe to say that Chalamet's Wonka attire is somewhere in the middle, combining the design elements of both... but it still looks like he robbed Gonzo off the street.
Wonka is set to hit theaters on December 15, 2023. For more Wonka, check out our interview with Paul King or watch the trailer here.
