‘Wonka’ by Director Paul King sees Hugh Grant as Oompa Loompa—Here’s Why!

‘Wonka’ Director Paul King has cast Hugh Grant as Oompa Loompa in his new movie.

Hugh Grant's portrayal as the main antagonist in Paddington 2 successfully started a Hugh Grant renaissance, so Wonka director Paul King resorted to the British actor once more for a pivotal part. Wonka will be released by Warner Bros. on December 15. But perhaps not for reasons Grant would have approved of.

The director gave an explanation of why he chose to cast Grant as a small, green-haired Oompa Loompa (who makes a hilariously deadpan appearance in the trailer's final seconds) during the early-afternoon event that featured the official premiere of the Willy Wonka trailer in London.

King stated how he had to delve into Dahl's books for inspiration as Wonka explored the tale of how Timothée Chalamet's Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came to be known as the famous chocolatier. He claimed that although Dahl didn't give the Oompa Loompas much language, the songs he wrote for them were "incredibly sarcastic, judgmental, and cruel" about the kids' characters.

"So I was really just thinking about that character; somebody who could be a real shit, and then — ah! Hugh!" he said. "Because he’s the funniest, most sarcastic shit I’ve ever met."