‘Pure Imagination’ reimagined

(Warning: The following contains spoilers for “Wonka.”)

The ending of “Wonka” begins with three dissonant tones that are instantly recognizable to fans of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” They are, of course, the opening notes of the 1971 movie’s most beloved song, “Pure Imagination.”

“Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination,” sings Timothée Chalamet over a gentle piano accompaniment. This younger version of the magical chocolatier then recites different lyrics to the familiar tune:

“Reach out, touch what was once just in your imagination

Don’t be shy, it’s all right if you feel a little trepidation

Sometimes things don’t need explanation

If you want to view paradise, simply look at them and view it

Somebody to hold on to, it’s all we really need, nothing else to it.”

The moment likely spurs some viewer confusion: Did “Wonka” seriously change the iconic film song’s lyrics? And what’s with the extra cheerful, hyper-stylized section that follows it?

“It’s sacrilege!” jokes the movie’s director and co-writer Paul King with a laugh. Debuting a new “Pure Imagination” was “definitely nerve-wracking” for him, he says, but the intention of this rendition, like the prequel movie itself, was “to be a companion piece” to its predecessor, which King called “slightly strange and completely hypnotic.”

In the original film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel, the ballad is the first glimpse inside the fantastical chocolate factory for the five contest winners, their family members and the audience. As the other characters sample edible flowers, marshmallow mushrooms and giant candy canes with wide-eyed delight, the factory’s eccentric proprietor, portrayed by Gene Wilder, sings the number with an enigmatic mix of whimsy, pride and undeniable melancholy.

Written by British songsmiths Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley (over the phone and in a single day), “Pure Imagination” is unconventionally structured and goes against traditional melodic instincts. “The arrangements are completely crazy, with multiple instrumental breaks and weird bits of music flown in with different time signatures and in different keys,” explains Joby Talbot, who composed the new “Wonka” score and arranged the songs. “That oddness and how it’s all very vague and loose makes it feel almost psychedelic and phantasmagorical.”

Back in 1971, the L.A. Times’ review called the movie’s music “perky and perfectly, instantly forgettable.” But, as Bricusse told NPR in 2021, the tune had a change of fortune over time. “It didn’t come through for, like, 25 years,” he said. “It just sat there. And suddenly, I think probably because of Gene Wilder’s performance and as people got to know the film better, they became more familiar with it and liked it.”

Bricusse believed the song’s lyrics held deep meaning, and not just in the context of the movie. “It’s a good thought for people, especially young people, to carry with them through life,” added the lyricist. “ ‘You’ll be free if you truly wish to be’ at the end is, to me, the most important line in the film. It’s a reflective thought on how to make a life work.”

In the decades since that movie’s release, Newley’s more standard arrangement has become a concert staple, performed by the likes of Harry Connick Jr., Josh Groban, Barbra Streisand and Pentatonix. And who can forget Fiona Apple’s ominous take, filled with electronic flourishes and recorded for Chipotle’s app-based game?

“Wonka” repositions “Pure Imagination” as the movie-musical’s final number — a decision made relatively late in the filmmaking schedule (it was initially placed in the middle of the story, with a much more traditional orchestral sound). King then tasked Neil Hannon, who wrote all of the “Wonka” songs, with reimagining “Pure Imagination” in the style of Hannon’s pop band the Divine Comedy. The number needed to end the film on a nostalgic high note and wrap up multiple storylines.

“It was quite a lot more than the song allowed, because it’s very short and there’s actually very few words,” says Hannon. “So I thought the only way to do it, really, was to break it into two halves. And I tried to keep Bricusse’s rhyming structure. Luckily, there are thousands of ‘-ation’ words in the dictionary.”

The first section, featuring Chalamet’s tender delivery of the new lyrics over sparse piano chords, unfolds as Willy Wonka reunites friend and assistant Noodle (Calah Lane) with her long-lost mother — a happy ending she never thought possible.

“So much of what the movie is about is when Willy is able to make dreams come true,” explains King. “Noodle is somebody who is wise and clever, but she lost the ability to believe that good things can happen. He’s happy as can be for her, but he’s also saying goodbye to her and sending her off. That bittersweet sensation is part of what made the 1971 version great — Gene Wilder with tears in his eyes as he’s looking around — and those same emotions worked beautifully for our story as well.”

The song pivots when Willy Wonka offers Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant) the opportunity to lead the tasting department of his next venture: a chocolate factory. As his vision materializes before them, Chalamet sings the original lyrics with a much stronger vocal and over an extremely upbeat and whimsical instrumentation. Talbot arranged the song as if a child were wandering through an orchestra pit, with different instrumental sections popping up and joining in.

This second half is decidedly free of the original song’s signature melancholy. “Chordally, it’s a vast simplification, but I wanted it to sound a bit more contemporary,” says Hannon. “We needed to do repetitive, straight chords over a shuffling beat, and build to the big finish.” Adding to the cheery disposition: Oompa-Loompa’s deadpan asides, sprinkled throughout Willy Wonka’s sales pitch.

The creative team of “Wonka” seems aware that viewers have their own personal attachments to the many interpretations of “Pure Imagination” over the years. “The version we have now is a massive departure,” says Talbot. “We’re not trying to be clever or cute. We’re just trying to make something that pays homage to this great song and also works for the storylines and the positive message of the film.”