Summary
- Wonka has been awarded a family-friendly PG rating by the MPAA, despite the presence of violence, mild language, and some thematic elements.
- The violence in Wonka is not uncommon for previous adaptations of the Dahl novel, which also featured challenging elements and received PG ratings.
- The noted violence in Wonka is likely due to the presence of clear villains and dangerous confrontations, but the movie will still maintain a family-friendly tone.
Wonka‘s MPAA rating has finally been released, and while it isn’t too surprising, there’s a little twist. The prequel to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chcolate Factory was directed by Paddington‘s Paul King and features an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, and Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa. In Wonka, a younger Willy Wonka sets out to make his name as a world-class chocolatier in a rags-to-riches tale.
With Wonka‘s December 15 release date drawing closer, FilmRatings.com has unveiled the MPAA’s official rating. While it has expectedly earned the family-friendly PG rating similar to the Gene Wilder-led Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the reasons for prequel movie’s rating are somewhat surprising. The MPAA awarded Wonka a PG rating due to “violence, mild language, and some thematic elements.”
What May Be The Reason Behind Wonka’s “Violence” Warning?
While Wonka‘s rating could raise brows, its reasons aren’t out of the ordinary for previous adaptations of the Dahl novel, which each had their own challenging elements. Despite its G rating, the first 1971 adaptation features moments where Charlie is threatened by the seemingly sinister Slugworth, Charlie and Grandpa Joe narrowly escape razor-sharp blades, and Wonka takes everyone through a terrifying tunnel. Meanwhile, Burton’s quirky scenes, mild language, and heightened action in the 2005 adaptation saw that movie being given a PG rating like Wonka.
For Wonka, the noted violence could be due to it having clear, definitive villains as opposed to abstract concepts and archetypical characters. Willy will have to make his name for himself while avoiding the wrath of the “Chocolate Cartel,” an alliance of greedy chocolatiers consisting of Paterson Joseph’s Slugworth, Mathew Baynton’s Fickelgruber, and Matt Lucas’ Prodnose. While the Wonka trailer reveals them confronting Willy in public, they have also been seen trapping him beneath a glass floor while the room fills with liquid chocolate, teasing their dangerous methods.
While it remains to be seen just how Willy and the Chocolate Cartel will come to blows, Wonka‘s trailers hint that Chalamet’s chocolatier will have to quite literally be quick on his feet to not suffer their wrath. Though the movie is being presented as a whimsical musical, the stakes could become quite high. Nevertheless, while some moments may be intense, they won’t stop Wonka from maintaining a family-friendly tone.
Source: FilmRatings.com
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