Actor Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka on the set of the film ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, based … [+]
Remembering Gene Wilder—a 2023 documentary about the life and career of the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory legend—is one of the films new on Netflix this week.
In addition to playing Willy Wonka in the beloved 1971 family movie, Wilder starred in director Mel Brooks’ movie classics Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and The Producers. Wilder also teamed up with comedy great Richard Pryor in the acclaimed comedies Stir Crazy and Silver Streak.
Remembering Gene Wilder debuts on Netflix Thursday. Wilder—who was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—died of complications of Alzheimer’s disease on August 29, 2016, in Stamford, Connecticut, at age 83.
Directed by Ron Frank, Remembering Gene Wilder features interviews with such film luminaries as Brooks, Alan Alda and Carol Kane—as well as archive footage of Pryor, Wilder and his late wife and Saturday Night Live star Gilda Radner.
Also among the people interviewed for the documentary are Peter Ostrum, who starred as Charlie Bucket opposite Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Richard Pryor’s daughter, Rain Pryor. Wilder’s widow, Karen Boyer—who was married to the actor at the time of his death—also discusses her husband’s legacy in the film.
Remembering Gene Wilder also touches upon Wilder’s family life dating back to when he was a child. Recalling why he changed his name to Gene Wilder from his birth name, the actor is heard saying in the film’s trailer, “I didn’t think Jerry Silberman had the right ring to it. I wanted to be … wilder.”
The film earned just over $157,000 in its limited-run domestic run in theaters in March. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the documentary a “fresh” 86% rating based on 35 reviews.
A New Netflix Original Documentary And Animated Film Also Debut This Week
Also among the movies debuting on Netflix this week is the Netflix original documentary Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors, which premieres on the streaming service Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Netflix original animated movie Ultraman Rising debuts on the streamer, as well as the 2023 documentary Tell Them That You Love Me.
On Friday, June 7, the Netflix original movie Hit Man premiered and quickly shot up to the top of the streaming service’s Top 10 movies list, displacing the new hit addition Godzilla Minus One along the way.
Hit Man tells the crazy true story of Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), a college teacher who moonlighted as an undercover hit man.
Adria Arjona also stars in the crime comedy as Maddy, a housewife whom Gary talks out of putting a hit on her husband, only to begin a romantic relationship with her.
The romance is complicated from the get-go, however, since Maddy doesn’t know Gary’s real identity and the situation puts both of their lives in harm’s way.
