# Re Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" remake with Depp as Wonka - Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681 "2003-08-21T14:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/41 "2003-08-22T03:14:54Z")
Feh. The first movie is vastly overrated–filled with cheap-looking sets, godawful songs and repulsive Oompah-Loompahs. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/42 "2003-08-22T03:37:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > **How many of these folks would ever have seen the original film at all? And how many people who saw (and even disliked) the remake have sought out the original to see why someone thought it was worth remaking?** That’s _assuming_ that they _knew_ it was a remake. \*\* > [@](#): > > Colorization? Sure, why not? My TV has tint control: I can watch any movie I want in black and white. But, again, this has nothing to do with re-making a movie.\*\* You know what Orson Welles last words were? “Please don’t let Ted Turner rub his crayons over my beautiful movie.” 'Nuff said. \*\* > [@](#): > > I submit that, on the scale of cinematic catastrophes, mis-coloring Frank Sinatra’s eyes pales in comparison to casting Frank Sinatra in a movie in the first place.\*\* Oh, come on now, Frankie wasn’t that bad an actor. No, Lawrence Oliver, admittedly, but I’d rather watch Frank’s _worst_ movie than anything featuring Pauly Shore. \*\* > [@](#): > > Neither am I. Burton’s been sadly off his game for a while now. But if he remakes _Charlie etc._, and it sucks horribly, you know what? No one’s even going to remember it in five years. When I say _Psycho_, who do you think of? Alfred Hitchcock or Gus van Sant? \*\* _I_ think of Hitchcock, but lots of these youngun’s tain’t never heard of him. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/43 "2003-08-22T03:41:10Z")
I just want to second the idea that Marilyn Manson would make a _terrific_ dark Wonka! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/44 "2003-08-22T03:46:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BlackKnight \* > \*\*I just want to second the idea that Marilyn Manson would make a _terrific_ dark Wonka! \*\* Is that anything like the limited edition dark chocolate and white chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups they were selling? ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/45 "2003-08-22T03:52:46Z")
Walken has to play the guy in the candy store. Christopher Lee is the tinker in front of the factory. Marilyn Manson will be Slugworth. I have spoken. Go about your business, citizens. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/46 "2003-08-22T04:06:39Z")
I’m with **Dr. Rieux**. I grew up in the 70s and somehow didn’t know the movie existed til the 90s. I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory many times and it took me a while to appreciate the Willy Wonka movie at all. I’ve never thought of it as a good adaptation of the book. The movie is so American. I never thought of Charlie as an American kid. That candy store in the movie is one of the most unappealing places I’ve ever seen captured on film. It has some kind of weird gay 90s USA fourth of July vibe. The songs were horrible! The oompah loompah song was the pits. Even Gene Wilder bothered me. The only part of the original movie that ever seemed anything like the book to me was Charlie’s teacher and the wart remover. That scene had the Dahl vibe to me. The only Dahl book I’ve ever really liked as a movie was James and the Giant Peach. I like everything Johnny Depp does. And as far as I’m concerned, the worst has already happened when it comes to bad adaptations of Roald Dahl books. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/47 "2003-08-22T04:26:38Z")
Burton has to go to his _Nightmare Before Christmas_ roots to make Wonka work. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/48 "2003-08-22T05:07:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\*AKA Mrs. Tim Burton (or at least aka Tim Burton’s baby’s mama). They recently wrapped on a movie filmed in Montgomery, AL, where I spend a lot of time and I couldn’t believe how tiny she is in real life. (I also couldn’t believe going into my favorite restaurant, which is far from chic, and seeing the Burtons, Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Robert Guillaume, and a smattering of their women taking up a long table in the corner.) > > \*\* Does anyone know if Baby Burton has emerged yet? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/49 "2003-08-22T06:22:57Z")
As long as the movie makers are doing it on THEIR nickle and not my nickle is fine. How many times did they redo “A Christmas Carol” before they came around to Alastair Sim? Okay, okay…you preferred the Mickey Mouse, or the Muppets, or Patrick Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/50 "2003-08-22T12:18:48Z")
Gene Wilder is God. But as long as we’re recasting…how about Malcolm McDowell as Slugworth and maybe Tim Curry as Wonka? Can we wedge Alan Rickman in somehow? I like the scary guys.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/51 "2003-08-22T13:11:30Z")
Slugworth? Slugworth barely featured in the book. If this is a proper adaptation rather than a remake, they’ll cut out that silly subplot from that wretched musical. And another thing I hope they’ll restore: proper Oompa Loompa songs. Take a look at the ones from the novel; they are filled with far more wit and sadistic humour than the unbearably didactic monstrosities from the movie. All those of you thinking, “I hope they don’t screw up” are missing the point. The real opportunity presented with this new adaptation is to restore glory to a great story. (I’m also crossing fingers for CATGGE to be added to the movie - I want to see CGI Vermicious Knids) ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/52 "2003-08-22T13:52:54Z")
**gex gex** , I’m with you on the Oompa Loompa songs. The ones in GGE are also pretty good. Love that scene with Wonka dancing furiously and singing a contemptuous song at the Knids as their ships approach the–space station/hotel? Gotta re-read. **Sampiro,** another [David Garrison](http://www.davidgarrison.com) fan! I try to catch his plays whenver I can–he was indeed delightfully villianous in TITANIC, tried his best as Sandor in the anemic BELLS ARE RINGING revival, a fantastic, fussy, and finally poignant Malvolio last year at Long Wharf in New Haven, a businessman seeking love early this summer at the Vineyard, and he was exquisite as Henry Carr last weekend, alternating between brilliance and cluelessness and handling the tricky Stoppard dialogue perfectly. And I have the entire run of IT’S YOUR MOVE on tape, including a grainy version of the seldom-aired second half of ‘Dregs’ (I think it was interrupted by some news event and never aired on NBC). I missed him on Married when he left but I agree it was the best thing for him to do–he’s having quite a stellar theater career, although in one interview he did say that “Every now and then, in the middle of the night, my checkbook wakes me up and says ‘Excuse me, but you were an idiot’”. 😃 \ ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/53 "2003-08-22T14:41:21Z")
> [@](#): > > …Tim Curry as Wonka?.. How’d you do I, think you’ve found my decadent, candy land… ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/54 "2003-08-22T15:18:57Z")
ok, if we have Curry, McDowell & Rickman, we gotta throw in Rickman Jr aka Alan Cummings. ]hijack[ Btw,while I have nothing against Paul Reubens & hope he can regain a career, he is still under investigation for possession of erotica involving minors (the legal defense given is that they are very old pictures that are part of a vast collection of historic erotica). Jeffrey Jones (whose movie work I’ve also enjoyed & whom I would like to see in WONKA) has been accused of taking pics of an underage teen boy & it has some connection to the Reubens case. ]end of hijack[ ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/55 "2003-08-22T18:00:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dorkusmalorkusmafia \* > \*\*How’d you do I, think you’ve found my decadent, candy land… \*\* “Oooooh, OOMPY!” ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/56 "2003-08-22T18:45:19Z")
I’m not much of a fan of the movie version. The Oompa-Loompas were terrible, just terrible. And they screwed up the morality of the book. The movie Charlie drinks the fizzy lifting drink AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! If the movie followed the conventions of the book, Charlie would have been chopped to bits by the fan, just like the little bastard deserved. Any child who disobeys orders, or is rude, deserves a horrible horrible punishment. If you obey orders and are polite, then you deserve a wonderful reward. That is the message of the book. The movie botched it. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/57 "2003-08-22T18:53:01Z")
I’ve loved this movie ever since I saw it in the theater as a wee kid, and I adore Gene Wilder as Wonka. I was very nervous when people started talking remake and mentioning Nicolas Cage as a strong contender for the part. I can’t think of anyone worse suited to play Wonka…okay, maybe Michael Jackson \. After seeing “Pirates of the Caribbean,” though, I’m convinced that Johnny Depp could pull it off. Tim Burton directing could be _very_ good if he’s on his game. It’s that kind of movie–the “Edward Scissorhands” vibe would be good for it. I loved the creepy undertones of the original, and I think Burton could play them up. My first choice for Wonka would be Alan Cumming. When I saw him in “Spy Kids,” I turned to the spouse and said, “_That’s_ the new Willy Wonka.” But Depp would be fine too. As for Gene Wilder as Grandpa Joe–uh uh. Please no. I was in love with Wilder as Wonka as a kid–the sarcasm, the urbane creepiness, the aura of hidden danger…to see him now playing bumbling, simple, decent Grandpa Joe would seriously screw with my worldview. If Wilder’s to have a cameo, let him play Slugworth, or maybe the guy in the candy shop at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/58 "2003-08-22T20:05:26Z")
> [@](#): > > “If the good LORD- hadintendedusto WA-ALK, he wouldn’t have. Invented RollerSKATES.” OK, that’s the best cyber-impression I’ve ever seen. In fact, I just coined the term “cyber-impression” to describe it–that’s how good it was. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/59 "2003-08-23T00:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doug Bowe \* > \*\* How many times did they redo “A Christmas Carol” before they came around to Alastair Sim? > Okay, okay…you preferred the Mickey Mouse, or the Muppets, or Patrick Stewart. \*\* George C. Scott, actually… ---
**Author:** ![Anniee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Anniee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anniee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681/60 "2003-08-23T00:29:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PeppermintPatty85 \* > \*\*I agree that they should just leavea classic alone. While Paul Reubens would make an excellent Wonka, in my opinion, better than the monotone (and terrifying i might add) Walken, and maybe better than Michael Keaton, no parent is going to take their chid to see it, primarily becuase it’s “Pee Wee” and well we all know how dirty he is. \*\* I certainly would. I was furious when his wonderful show was canceled and thought it was the dumbest. reason. ever. I like Pee Wee and Paul Reubens very much. As far as leaving a classic alone; if they are just remaking the MOVIE I absolutely agree. You can not improve upon that marvellous satire nor upon the acting in the original. IF the purpose is to make a version of the actual book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” which bore little to no resemblance to the movie whatsoever, then why not? I think it’s a good idea and I wish to heck someone would do it with more of Stephen King’s books that have been slaughtered on film. Then again Roald Dahl is sorta creepy. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-tim-burtons-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-remake-with-depp-as-wonka-why/196681.md?page=4)