‘Wonka’ Director Compares Timothée Chalamet’s ‘Beautiful’ Singing Voice to Bing Crosby

Wonka Director Paul King compares Timothée Chalamet’s singing voice to Bing Crosby.

The film stars Chalamet, 27, who shows off his singing skills playing the role of chocolate maker Willy Wonka.

In a recent interview with Total movie magazine, King, 45, described the actor’s singing voice as “beautiful”, comparing it to the late singer who sang the classic 1942 rendition of “White Christmas”.

“[Chalamet]He has a beautiful singing voice,” King said. “The person he reminded me of was Bing Crosby.”

“There is a big range, because it goes from a few bigger, performance things to moments of real, pure emotion, and he can do it all…” he added. “I’m going to sound like a crazy fan.”

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Bing Crosby.

American Stock Archives/Getty

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The director added that he didn’t want the film to “become a musical where people sing dialogue to each other for no apparent reason.” Therefore, said King Wonka “it’s more like a movie with songs than a musical.”

Wonka is a prequel inspired by Roald Dahl’s 1964 book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. First Wonka the film debuted in 1971, with a second version in 2005.

The late Gene Wilder played the role of Willy Wonka in 1971, while Johnny Depp stepped into the shoes for the second iteration, directed by Tim Burton.

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Timothée Chalamet.

Jaap Buittendijk/Warner Brothers

The new film “tells the story of a young Willy Wonka, who comes to the chaotic chocolate center of Europe with all these very fancy chocolate shops selling candy at wildly inflated prices,” King told PEOPLE in July. “He brings this riot of color and energy and the future, and a lot more of that joyous feeling.”

King also said Chalamet was a “phenomenal actor” and brought “heart to the role.”

Wonka it’s in theaters on December 15.

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Source: HIS Education