Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

‘Willy Wonka,’ ‘Blazing Saddles’ in theaters this weekend to honor Gene Wilder

In the wake of the sad news of Gene Wilder’s death on Monday, AMC Theatres is paying homage to the late actor. The company is bringing two classic films starring Wilder — Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Blazing Saddles — back to screens for the weekend, reports Variety.

Wilder’s roles in the films were two of his most iconic. In 1971’s Willy Wonka, he played the titular character, skillfully embodying the eccentric chocolatier first introduced in Roald Dahl’s beloved 1964 children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The film wasn’t an immediate success, but it steadily gained a following over the years and has become a cult classic.

Recommended Videos

In 1974’s Blazing Saddles, Wilder starred as Jim, aka the “Waco Kid,” a recovering alcoholic and sharpshooter. A satirical Western comedy, the film took on racism as it followed a black sheriff (played by Cleavon Little) in an all-white Wild West town. Unlike Willy WonkaBlazing Saddles made a splash at the box office and still ranks among the domestic all-time best in term of box office. When inflation is taken into account, the film comes in at 51 on the list (at the time of publishing), according to Box Office Mojo data,

The two films will be back in theaters for just two days, Saturday and Sunday, but they’ll be shown in numerous major cities. In total, AMC is bringing them to 55 locations across the country. Willy Wonka will screen at 5 p.m., with Blazing Saddles up at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will cost $5.

The complete list of theaters appears below:

Atlanta: AMC Barrett Commons 24, AMC Southlake Pavilion 24
Baltimore: AMC Owings Mills 17
Baton Rouge, Louisiana: AMC Baton Rouge 16
Boston: AMC Loews Boston Common 19
Charlotte, North Carolina: AMC Concord Mills 24
Chicago: AMC River East 21, AMC Streets of Woodfield 20
Cincinnati: AMC Newport on the Levee 20
Columbus, Ohio: AMC Lennox 24
Dallas: AMC Grapevine Mills 30, AMC Mesquite 30
Denver: AMC Highlands Ranch 24, AMC Westminster Promenade 24
Detroit: AMC Livonia 20
Grand Rapids, Michigan: AMC Grand Rapids 18
Hartford, Connecticut: AMC Plainville 20
Houston: AMC Studio 30
Indianapolis: AMC Showplace Bloomington 12
Jacksonville, Florida: AMC Orange Park 24
Kansas City, Missouri: AMC Barrywoods 24, AMC Town Center 20
Las Vegas: AMC Town Square 18
Los Angeles: AMC Ontario Mills 30, AMC Orange 30, AMC Burbank
Miami: AMC Aventura Mall 24
Milwaukee: AMC Mayfair 18
Minneapolis: AMC Eden Prairie Mall 18
New Orleans: AMC Elmwood Palace 20
New York: AMC Empire 25, AMC New Brunswick 18, AMC Stony Brook 17
Norfolk, Virginia: AMC Hampton Towne Centre 24
Oklahoma City: AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
Omaha, Nebraska: AMC Oak View 24
Orlando, Florida: AMC Disney Springs 24
Philadelphia: AMC Neshaminy 24
Phoenix: AMC Westgate 20
Pittsburgh: AMC Waterfront 22
Raleigh, North Carolina: AMC Southpoint 17
Rockford, Illinois: AMC Showplace Rockford 16
Salt Lake City: AMC West Jordan 12
San Diego: AMC Mission Valley 20
San Francisco: AMC Cupertino Square 16, AMC Metreon 16
Seattle: AMC Alderwood 16
South Bend, Indiana: AMC Showplace South Bend 16
Spokane, Washington: AMC River Park Square 20
Springfield, Illinois: AMC Showplace Springfield 12
St. Louis: AMC West Olive 16
Tallahassee, Florida: AMC Tallahassee Mall 20
Tampa, Florida: AMC Woodlands Square 20
Tulsa, Oklahoma: AMC Southroads 20
Washington, D.C.: AMC Hoffman 22

Stephanie Topacio Long
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Sydney Sweeney will star in the Split Fiction movie
Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You.

Earlier this week, Sydney Sweeney signed on to produce the adaptation of Sega's OutRun video game with Michael Bay set to direct. Now, Sweeney has reportedly joined another video game adaptation as both a producer and a star.

According to Variety, Sweeney has joined the cast of Split Fiction, the hit video game that was released just under two months ago. The game's story focuses on an aspiring sci-fi writer Mio Hudson and a fantasy writer named Zoe Foster, both of whom are invited to take part in an experimental simulation demonstration. When Mio is accidentally thrust into Zoe's simulation, both women are trapped in the simulation that draws upon the stories from their minds. And they have to work together to find a way out. Variety's story doesn't specify which character Sweeney will play, but there's room for another prominent actress on top of the call sheet beside her.

Read more
5 movies leaving Hulu in April 2025 you have to watch
Rebecca Hall in Resurrection.

The title of this recurring post was conceived when Hulu regularly cycled out big movie titles at the end of the month. Lately, Hulu hasn't been saving the good stuff for the 30th, and there's only a single movie leaving at the end of April that we can recommend.

Resurrection, a 2022 psychological thriller starring Rebecca Hall is the film in question. That movie is leaving on April 27, and that leaves four more films to fill out a list of five. So as we've done for the last several months, we've had to skip ahead to the next month to find additional movies on their way out of Hulu that are worthy of being watched.

Read more
NBC is planning a reboot of USA’s Royal Pains
Mark Feuerstein in promo art for Royal Pains.

Earlier this year, NBC debuted Suits: L.A., a revival of the hit USA Network series Suits that became an even bigger blockbuster on Netflix. Now, NBC is looking to revive another USA series, Royal Pains, with the show's original star Mark Feuerstein slated to return.

Royal Pains debuted on USA in 2009 and featured Feuerstein as Henry “Hank” Lawson, a former ER doctor in New York who unjustly lost his job. After moving to the Hamptons with his brother, Hank was recruited to run his own concierge medical practice for the rich and powerful. However, he also established a free clinic for people who couldn't afford the health care that they needed. The show ran for eight seasons before concluding in 2016.

Read more