Wonka director Paul King says that casting Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in the movie was a real light bulb moment.

Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa; it’s either the greatest thing in the world or pure nightmare fuel, depending on who you ask. Personally, I kind of loved it. The recently released Wonka trailer concluded with Hugh Grant in all his Oompa Loompa glory, and it’s something director Paul King knew he needed to see.

After working with Hugh Grant on Paddington 2, Paul King told Empire that knew he wanted to bring the actor back for Wonka after he re-read Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. “Going back to the book, and reading all those poems, and hearing [the Oompa Loompas’] voice as a very sort of cynical, sarcastic, cruel, funny, but wicked voice, I went, ‘Oh… That’s sort of a bit like Hugh!’,” King said. “It was a real light bulb moment – you go, ‘Hugh Grant’s an Oompa-Loompa! Yes please! Merry Christmas, with a bow on it.’“

Paul King decided to keep the look of the Oompa Loompa’s seen in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory rather than redesign the characters. “It just felt like that’s what an Oompa Loompa was, in my head. I suppose because the ’71 movie is so beloved by me, as well as other people, I didn’t really want to reinvent the wheel on that,” King said. “I felt like doing something that sat with that iconography. I love ‘Pure Imagination’, I love the Oompa Loompa songs, I loved how the Oompa Loompas looked. And that felt like the iconic look of Oompa Loompas.” Paul King and his team have been working on getting the Hugh Grant Oompa Loompa looking as great as he can. “Because it’s CG, it looks terrible until it looks good,” King said. “And then you go, ‘Ah, perfect!’ It’s a miracle.’”

Wonka stars Timothée Chalamet in the title role and will tell “the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.” In addition to Chalamet, Wonka also stars Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, and more. Wonka will hit theaters on December 15th.

What did you think of Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in the Wonka trailer?

San Diego Comic-Con is going to be a little different this year. Many studios had already dropped out of presenting, including Marvel, Sony, HBO, Universal, and Netflix, and now that SAG-AFTRA has joined the WGA on the picket lines, you can pretty much kiss any panel involving writers or actors goodbye. The official Comic-Con schedule has been updated with a list of cancelled panels, which unfortunately includes Dune: Part Two, The Boys spin-off series Gen V, Amazon’s The Wheel of Time, Lionsgate’s upcoming The Strangers trilogy, and more.

Behind the Scenes with the Cast of Jury Duty: Thursday, July 20 – 1:45pm – 2:45pm

From producers of The Office, The White Lotus, and Bad Trip, the Amazon Freevee Original series Jury Duty chronicles the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror, Ronald Gladden, who doesn’t realize that everyone around him is an actor and the entire trial is fake. Get the inside scoop on what was happening behind the scenes during the making of the series from the cast and creative team, and meet San Diego’s own hometown hero, Ronald.

The Wheel of Time: Thursday, July 20 – 2:00pm – 3:00pm

The Wheel continues to turn at Comic-Con, as the cast of Prime Video’s hit series The Wheel of Time gives a sneak peek into the highly anticipated second season. In addition to a discussion about how the show is bringing Robert Jordan’s iconic book series from page to screen, they’ll be revealing exclusive season 2 content, as well as some other exciting surprises for attendees. Season 2 of The Wheel of Time will premiere on September 1.

Cruel Summer Season 2: Thursday, July 20 – 3:00pm – 4:00pm

The stars and creative team behind Freeform’s hit series Cruel Summer take you behind the scenes of season 2 and tease all the twists and turns viewers can expect from the shocking final episodes. Fans will be treated to an exclusive sneak peek of the rest of the season and a conversation with stars Lexi Underwood, Sadie Stanley, and Griffin Gluck, alongside executive producers Michelle Purple and Bill Purple. New episodes of Cruel Summer air Mondays at 10/9c on Freeform and stream next day on Hulu.

Metalocalpyse: Army of the Doomstar: Friday, July 21 – 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Can the Metalocalypse be stopped? The cast and crew of this all-new original animated R-rated movie, based on the hit Adult Swim series, talk all things Metalocalypse, preview some clips from the film, and discuss the new soundtrack and Dethalbum IV. Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar will be available to own on Digital and Blu-ray starting August 22.

Gen V: Friday, July 21 – 4:15pm – 5:15pm

From the world of The Boys, Prime Video reveals its highly anticipated new series Gen V with members of the cast, who will talk about the upcoming college spinoff for the first time. Set at America’s only college exclusively for young adult superheroes (run by Vought International), Gen V explores the lives of hormonal, competitive Supes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the school’s top ranking. The series stars Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway, Shelley Conn, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, and Asa Germann. Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Marco Pigossi recur. Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters, Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Ori Marmur, Pavun Shetty, Ken Levin, Jason Netter, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Craig Rosenberg, Zak Schwartz, Erica Rosbe, and Michaela Starr serve as executive producers. Gen V comes from Sony Pictures Television Studios and Amazon Studios, in association with Kripke Enterprises, Point Grey Pictures, and Original Film.

The Strangers Trilogy Exclusive First Look: Friday, July 21 – 8:30pm – 9:30pm

Actress and executive producer Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) and producer Courtney Solomon (After) discuss The Strangers and will provide an exclusive first-look clip from their new horror trilogy, which will be in theaters from Lionsgate in 2024.

That ’70s Show 25th Anniversary: Saturday, July 22 – 10:00am – 11:00am

Debra Jo Rupp (actress, That ’70s Show, That ’90s Show) and Kurtwood Smith (actor, That ’70s Show, That ’90s Show) discuss 25 years of the iconic show and its impact on their careers. Debra Jo and Kurtwood will engage in a fan Q&A session following the presentation.

Legendary Entertainment: Saturday, July 22 – 11:00am – 12:00pm

Nothing had been officially announced, but it was expected to feature Dune: Part Two as well as tease the next MonsterVerse movie.

Abbott Elementary Class in Session: Saturday, July 22 – 12:30pm – 1:30pm

The stars of ABC’s Abbott Elementary take the stage to discuss the breakout hit.

First Look at Orphan Black: Echos: Saturday, July 22 – 12:30pm – 1:30pm

Fans will get exclusive, first-look access to Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC/AMC+).

You can find a full list of cancelled Comic-Con panels on the official site.

“This is obviously an unusual year,” Comic-Con spokesperson David Glanzer told THR. “But that hasn’t diminished the anticipation for Comic-Con.” Although Comic-Con may not have as many of the big studio presentations it’s become known for, there will still be a lot to see, including Paramount Animation’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Starz’s John Wick prequel series, The Continental, AMC’s The Walking Dead franchise, Paramount’s Star Trek universe, and more.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read our Mission Impossible Movies Ranked list. From worst to best, they’re all here.

When Tom Cruise accepted his first mission as Ethan Hunt, I bet the star never thought that he’d still be playing the character nearly thirty years later, with no plans to stop anytime soon. But, as any franchise fan can tell you, not all Mission: Impossible movies are created equal, and we’re going to try to break them down from worst to best in our Mission Impossible movies ranked list!

7 – Mission: Impossible II:

Here’s the thing – many people hate this movie. I honestly don’t know why. Is it the worst Mission: Impossible movie? Sure. But, simultaneously, “worst” doesn’t mean the same thing for this franchise that it does to others. Even if it is the worst Mission: Impossible movie, there’s still plenty to like about it. Arguably, John Woo was the one who transformed Tom Cruise into an action hero, as we’d never really seen him do big action scenes before this movie. While the first hour is dull (it’s basically an unconvincing riff on Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious), and the film relies way too much on the IMF’s mask tech (always my biggest problem with the franchise), the last hour has some dazzling action. This includes (for my money) the franchise’s best mano-a-mano scrap, between Tom Cruise and Dougray Scott. Plus, Thandie Newton is great as Hunt’s love interest in this one, and the score by Hans Zimmer is excellent.

6 – Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation:

Again, even if this ranks closer to the bottom of our Mission Impossible movies ranked list, that doesn’t mean this is a bad movie. Far from it. It’s one of the most influential films in the franchise, as it was the first time Christopher McQuarrie sat in the director’s chair, and it also introduced us to Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust. My only real issue with the movie is that it blows its load too early, with the motorcycle chase so breathtaking that the movie’s conclusion can’t help but feel slightly anti-climactic.

5 – Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol:

While this one has my favourite Tom Cruise stunt of all time (Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa in Dubai), like Rogue Nation, the ending feels a little anti-climactic, with Cruise’s hand-to-hand opponent (the late Michael Nyqvist) not quite imposing enough. It’s also overstuffed with characters, including Jeremy Renner’s Brant. The reason for this is that, at the time, Cruise’s career was on a downslide, and many thought Renner, who was a rising star, was being poised to take his place as the lead. That said, the second Cruise dangled from the top of the Burj Khalifa; there was never any doubt that the franchise would always be his. Also, director Brad Bird gives the movie a cinematic scope thanks to some well-shot IMAX sequences that cemented the series as a must-see on the big screen. If only Paramount would release the IMAX version of this movie on streaming or Blu-ray!

4 – Mission: Impossible Fallout:

Another massive production that features some staggering action, including a terrific bathroom brawl early on that introduces Henry Cavill as Hunt’s new ally turned antagonist. Unlike many villains in the series, Cavill is a legit physical threat to Cruise, making their climactic helicopter battle a nail-biter. It also gives Hunt a nice full-circle moment with a bittersweet payoff to his relationship with Michelle Monaghan’s Julia. More on her later…

3 – Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One:

This is one of the most perfectly mounted action thrillers ever made, with action sequences so thrilling that, well, if you aren’t having fun, you may not have a pulse. However, the story, where Hunt faces off with an AI called “The Entity,” has yet to pay off, although this may happen in the sequel. Even still, it’s so much fun, with Hayley Atwell a great addition to the franchise. 

2 – Mission: Impossible:

I like this movie so much because it’s the only one that feels like an episode of the show. The action is lower key, the face masks are realistic, and Hunt isn’t quite the Superman he’d become in later instalments. It also has the best-set piece in any of the films, the vault break-in, superbly mounted by director Brian De Palma. My only issue is that it comes up pretty short as far as action goes, and the plot is pretty complicated. Still, it’s a great introduction to Hunt.

1 – Mission: Impossible III:

This brings me to the third film in the franchise. While this was the worst-performing entry financially, it features Cruise’s best performance as Hunt. What’s great about this movie is that it grounds the action by giving Hunt a legitimately affecting love interest, with Michelle Monaghan’s Julia, the doctor he wants to give up the IMF game for. No other entry has mixed drama, romance and action so well, and it helps that Philip Seymour Hoffman is the best villain the franchise ever had. This movie has it all, including a thrilling bridge shootout that remains one of the series’ best action set pieces. It’s by far the best movie J.J. Abrams ever directed.

What do you think of our rankings? Let us know in the comments!

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].

Adventure Time by Angga Tantama

Barbie by Ayhan Göktepe

Black Swan by Abdalla Harris

Death Wish by Ted Hammond

Indiana Jones by Ludo D. Rodriguez-Pascal

Jurassic Park by Alan David

Killer Klowns From Outer Space by Bratzoid

Oppenheimer by Hazem Asif

Snatch by Aleksey Rico

Superman: The Movie by Genzo