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

michael bolton willy wonka chocolate factory honest trailer gene wilder
Paramount Pictures
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.

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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…
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