- Wonka has the highest Rotten Tomatoes audience score of all three big-screen adaptations involving Roald Dahl’s character, with a 90% rating.
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, featuring Gene Wilder, is the critics’ favorite film, with a franchise-best 91% on the Tomatometer.
- Despite a low audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory received an “A-” CinemaScore.
True Roald Dahl enthusiasts might struggle to choose a favorite among the three big-screen adaptations of his classic 1964 children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp, and Timothée Chalamet each bring their unique flair and charm to the iconic candymaker, Willy Wonka. However, as Wonka enters its second week in theaters, Chalamet’s portrayal of the confectionery wizard has captured the highest Rotten Tomatoes audience score.
At the time of writing, Wonka has a 90% audience score, beating Wilder’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which holds an 87%. Sadly, Depp’s 2005 version, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, only has a 51% score. Despite its low Rotten Tomatoes rating, audiences in 2005 gave Depp’s portrayal an “A-” CinemaScore.
When it comes to critical appraisal, Wilder’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory wins the day with a fantastic 91% Tomatometer rating. Although it suffered from a poor audience score, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also impressed critics with an 83% rating, and Wonka currently holds an 83% rating, too.
It’s fun to imagine a world where Depp and Chalamet’s Willy Wonkas could meet in a chocolate multiverse, but for now, fans can enjoy the three existing adaptations. Both Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are available to stream on Max, and Wonka is currently in theaters.