# Burton to "reimagine" Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439 "2003-05-25T19:24:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/21 "2003-05-26T00:42:12Z")
Is there any kind of cite for this? Just wondering. I thought Burton’s next project (after **Big Fish** ) was supposed to be an adaptation of the novel **Geek Love**. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/22 "2003-05-26T00:44:28Z")
How about Ian McKellan (sp?) as Willy Wonka? I could believe him in both the happy/good moments, and the dark moments. After all, isn’t he supposed to be training the kid to take his place? Why would a 30-something be so worried about that? Nicholas Cage? Bwahahahahahah! No, I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/23 "2003-05-26T01:04:07Z")
The following sites have the story: [http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2799666](http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2799666) [http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---17066,00.html](http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---17066,00.html) [http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/entertainment/2224539/detail.html](http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/entertainment/2224539/detail.html) > **[Breaking Celebrity News, Entertainment News and Celeb Gossip - E! Online](https://www.eonline.com/news)** > > Get the latest news on celebrity scandals, engagements, and divorces! Check out our breaking stories on Hollywood's hottest stars! … but nothing new on Cage. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/24 "2003-05-26T01:06:21Z")
Nick Cage would be a great Willie Wonka. And Burton would really capture Dahl’s nastiness (his stories for adults show that side quite well, but you can see the undercurrents in all his children’s books). I think that if you were planning to do a remake, this is exactly the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/25 "2003-05-26T01:13:33Z")
Oooh, Ian McKellen would make a kickass Wonka! I like it because it’s a kid’s movie, but it’s not all sweetsy-cutesy. Wonka’s so evil-I love it! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/26 "2003-05-26T01:14:52Z")
While I hope this whole “remake” thing is pure rumour, and would prefer a sequel, I’ve heard John C. Rilly’s name came up for the part of WW. He, and he alone, would be wonderful in the part. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/27 "2003-05-26T01:16:04Z")
Of course, that’s John C. **Reilly**. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/28 "2003-05-26T02:45:47Z")
I’m all for a Wonka remake with Burton; he’s the premier fairytale teller these days. I’m OK with Cage doing the title role, too, I think he has the appropriate balance of kind and maniacal in his acting ability. If not Cage, I’d go out on a limb and suggest Beck, yup, the musician. He has the wherewithal to be a fine Pied Piper figure, and the bonus of making a great score. Don’t know about his acting ability or want to, but I think he’d be great. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/29 "2003-05-26T03:04:28Z")
I was only sorta of reading this thread. But Beck as WW woke me up. That’s _brilliant_. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/30 "2003-05-26T03:11:24Z")
That’s sort of interesting. Come to think of it - though I don’t think he can act - I’d probably prefer Manson as Wonka to Cage. I can’t look at Nicholas Cage, even though he’s a decent actor, without wondering why he looks so dreadfully ill. 😉 I like the Ian McKellen idea best, but I’d see him do almost anything. This thread actually makes me wonder about an old question - why are Dahl’s stories so well-loved? I liked them as a kid, but a few years later, I realize that they’re quite nasty in a lot of ways. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/31 "2003-05-26T03:29:19Z")
Don’tchya think, JC? Just popped into my mind as an apt choice. Time to lobby. And, Marley, I’ve always loved Dahl, as a kid and yond; a nice education in how to understand the nastiness of the world, with an arch eye. ---
**Author:** ![RobbieFal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c5a1d2/32.png) [@RobbieFal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobbieFal)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/32 "2003-05-26T03:31:52Z")
Sean Connery as Willy Wonka. No? ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/33 "2003-05-26T03:40:54Z")
I don’t think this movie needs to be remade. It’s like Sunset Boulevard or Double Indemnity. It’s a moment of film that was a perfect alchemical blend of the elements of the time. I doubt they can catch lightning in a bottle again. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/34 "2003-05-26T03:57:43Z")
As mentioned earlier, Willy Wonka in the books is an older gentleman who is choosing Charlie to take over the factory for him. So we need someone a little longer in the tooth than Cage or Manson(!) or Beck. We know that Burton likes to work with some actors more than once. So I’m thinking… **Christopher Walken** as Wonka! Think about it–he definitely has that mysterious/weird/creepy thing going on. And he’s also pretty spry and nimble for an old guy (you’ve seen him dance, right?). And he has good comic timing. He would be my choice. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/35 "2003-05-26T04:07:34Z")
Ooh, I take back what I said before. Walken would be great- and he can sing, too! Or maybe that would just be better left as an SNL skit. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/36 "2003-05-26T04:09:54Z")
For an older actor, Harry Dean Stanton has my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/37 "2003-05-26T04:33:42Z")
I don’t like Cage as Wonka. Manson would be interesting. I like the idea of Walken too (if he can dial down the creepiness just a little bit). I would also suggest either Jim Carrey or Crispin Glover as Wonka. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SuperNova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNova)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/38 "2003-05-26T05:02:19Z")
[random wonka trivia] Interesting thing, the kid who played Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) never acted in another movie. According to IMDB, after WW, he got offered a five movie contract, and turned it down… Also, the only song lyrics taken directly from the book was Wonka’s poem during the boat ride scene. Another reason why it’s probably the best scene in the movie. [/random wonka trivia] If Burton does do this remake, I hope he’s more true to the spirit of the book. While I do enjoy the original movie, it is far too light-hearted. While the original book was a children’s book, upon re-reading it recently it has some darker overtones. If Burton could convey those on the screen, I’d be all for a remake, ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/39 "2003-05-26T05:25:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*I’ve always _hated_ Willy Wonka. > > The man is evil. > > He keeps Oompa-Loompas as slaves, live barricaded inside his factory like a cult leader, & kills people in his factory machinery for trivial offences. > > Nasty-creepy-evil. \*\* From [http://www.bookofratings.com/wonka.html](http://www.bookofratings.com/wonka.html) : > [@](#): > > Augustus Gloop > You’d think the Oompa-Loompas would be more charitable toward Augustus, given that their entire livelihood depends on people like him tossing back empty calories. But then again the Loompas seem to lack perspective throughout: they keep saying that if you follow their little moral ditties then you’ll be happy like them, which sounds pretty good until you realize they’re a bunch of orange midgets in a labor camp. Makes a weakness for bratwurst sounds pretty healthy in comparison. C+ ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439/40 "2003-05-26T05:43:21Z")
I’m underwhelmed by the notion, but then again the original film left me only whelmed, at best. Except for Wilder’s Wonka–the rest of the movie didn’t impact me much. I like the idea of a Walken Wonka. Rather than Burton at the helm, I’d prefer Terry Gilliam, if he can break whatever ancient voodoo curse he’s had the last few years that’s keeping him from having any project actually complete. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burton-to-reimagine-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory/177439.md?page=3)