In the upcoming Entertainment Weekly cover story about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which hits newsstands on Friday), senior writer Chris Nashawaty notes that Tim Burton’s new film, to be released July 15, is already dividing Wonka fans into two camps. ”A lot of people are huge fans of the [1971] movie and hold it in awe. I wasn’t one of them,” says Burton, who insists his film will be more faithful to the 1964 Roald Dahl novel than the first movie was, even though Dahl himself wrote the screenplay.
The antagonism is mutual; original Wonka Gene Wilder recently said in an interview that Burton’s version ”is all about money. It’s just some people sitting around thinking ‘How can wemake some more money?’ Why else would you remake Willy Wonka?”
Johnny Depp (Willy Wonka v2.0) says he finds Wilder’s remarks ”disappointing.” He tells EW, ”I can understand where he’s coming from, I guess.” Except, that is, for Wilder’s complaint that the new movie is only about money. ”Well, hey, man, where have you been?” Depp says. ”When didn’t they ever doanything for money? Nobody’s ever made a film in the history of cinema wherethey weren’t expecting some return on their dough.” We’ll post more of the article later in the week at EW.com.
Gone unmentioned by both Depp and Wilder is the fact that the original movie was also all about money. As noted in the DVD extras and in director Mel Stuart’s 2002 book Pure Imagination, the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was bankrolled entirely by Quaker Oats as a promotional tie-in to the company’s new line of Wonka-branded candy bars. Though they ended up with a satirical and oddly dark musical that seems more for adults than children, rather than the 100-minute candy infomercial that Quaker probably wanted, the original filmmakers were hardly free from crassly commercial motives.
It’s unfair, of course, to compare the two Wonka actors when we haven’t seen Depp’s performance yet, though you can get a sample of it in the new trailer. Wilder’s performance mixed mirth with mischief and misanthropy, while Depp seems to be channeling offbeat character actor Sam Rockwell while disguised as Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
Who do you think will make the better Wonka? Do you side with one set of filmmakers against the other in this chocolate war, or do you think they should (Hershey’s) Kiss and make up?
I loved the original film, and Gene Wilder was perfect in it. I have been looking forward to the new film because I am a Tim Burton fan. However, judging only from the trailers, Johnny Depp’s rendition of Wonka is kind of creeping me out. I’m getting Michael Jackson vibes, and that is not a good thing.
sometimes it is
I loved the original and don’t think I am even going to see this new version. I usually do not enjoy Tim Burton’s work and all the trailers that I have seen (both on tv and at the cinema) haven’t done much to change my mind. Especially the “oompah-loompahs”. None of the kids seem even the least bit likeable. Johnny Depp’s makeup and all doesn’t do it for me. Plus Gene Wilder infused such a human side to the character that I just am not seeing any hint of.
This seems about as necessary as the remake of Psycho. I have loved Burton, but ever since Sleepy Hollow he’s completely lost me. His newer films seem like another filmmaker aping Burton, and that’s not a good thing. I’ll see it, of course, but there are several other wonderful stories by Dahl that haven’t seen screen time yet, (like the Twits, for one) that would be far more deserving than just re-treading a classic film.
Stop being such shallow-minded drones and accept this version as a modern adaptation of one of the classic films of the 70′s. Go enjoy it and stop crying you pansy asses.
I love Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp but the original movie is only good if you eat mushrooms. Same will porbably be true for Burtons version
Another unnecessary remake. Ho hum…
I only wish – by the looks of Johnny Depp – that they had cast Michael Jackson. Now THAT would be worth the price of admission.
I won’t be seeing it.
Is there a more over rated director than Tim Burton in the history of film making? Everything he does is laughably bad and redundant.
I don’t understand why people like the Gene Wilder movie. Maybe it’s interesting in it’s own right, it has little to do with what’s in the book. That’s why I hated it. I don’t expect a movie to be exactly the same as the book but it should at least reflect the spirit of the book. I didn’t recognize any of the characters’s personalities while watching this movie. I guess Willy Wonka never struck me as being really dark and creepy.
Plus, it’s a musical and a bad one at that. Hopefully this new one will do a better job of catching the spirit of the book.
My Johnny Depp worshipping bias aside, I am excited for the new Wonka flick. I look at the Burton creation as a new interpretation of a classic book, not a remake of a classic film. I absolutely adore Wilder as Wonka and it remains one of my favorite movies of all time, but the Burton/Depp collaborations have all been as equally enchanting (Edward Scissorhands, anyone?) that I am excited to see how they interpret the beloved story. As for the ‘creepy’ appearance of Depp’s Wonka, I seem to remember an outrageous looking pirate a few years ago that stole the hearts of millions. I hope the movie does well, but I understand why many people are shying away.
I’m in the camp of people who loved the original movie (still love it, to be honest), and can’t wait for the new one. The first movie had a lot of charm, and some real heart to it, but it did deviate pretty far from the book (also a favorite). The new one looks like it’s going to be much truer to the source material (squirrels!) and, heck, I’ll see anything with Depp in it.
Anyone notice a striking resemblance between Depp’s Wonka and Barry Humphries’ “Burt Schnick” cheesy game show host character in the Rocky Horror sequel Shock Treatment? Not much originality here….check it out!
What about the children?
No one here has even meantioned the children!!!
I think Johnny Depp looks like Michael Jackson on this film a lot, and I don’t know why there are so many narrowminded there that thinks it’s bad, first of all children who see Michael Jackson don’t think he’s weird, because they don’t judge, they are openminded and imaginatives, most of them don´t care about the news, and Michael jackson is highly magical for those with a clean mind like little children, I don’t know if Johnny Depp base his character on Michael Jackson, but if this is it ,I think it makes even more interesting, and I loved Johnny on Edward Scissorhands, by the way Michael Jackson could also be Edward in many, many ways, first everybody loves Edward, they get hair cuts and everything, then a situation it’s interpreted in the wrong way and they turn against him like he was the devil, just like with Michael Jackson and his love for children, and I truly think is really sad, he was found not guilty and still he is condemn. Finally I really hope that people would be less restrained in there thoughts and can see the art in this movie. I love Tim Burton and Michael Jackson, they are great artists on what they do.
Gene Wilder has his right to express himself, but he and nobody should prejudge a film that has NOT BEEN SEEN, I think that talent should be respected, no matter if you like it or you don’t, and I feel for what I see that this one could more well elaborated, and there are lots of people who loves Tim Burton’s work. People should not be afraid of art in no way. Prejudgement is bad and takes you nowhere. Let art be free.
Everybody forgets that not too long ago Gene Wilder said that if they were going to remake Willie Wonka, Depp would be his choice to do it. I thought it was very unprofessional of him to make the comment he did, and I’m a big fan of his! People who love the first movie should remember it was made as a candy commercial and then they should go read the book, or reread it, to see why it should be remade. As much as I loved Wilder’s performance in it, the movie was not true to the spirit of the book at all. WILLIE WONKA IS SUPPOSED TO BE CREEPY! Non-fans of Burton should definitely stay away, though, as this looks to be as Burtonesque as you can get.
And I trust Depp to do an outstanding job as always.