# Willy Wonka's Appearance in the new Tim Burton Film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777 "2005-03-29T15:48:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Just1Lurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@Just1Lurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just1Lurk)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/61 "2005-03-31T21:14:14Z")
_I’m just a sweet tooth fairy from Hershey-ual Pennsylvania_ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/62 "2005-03-31T21:30:07Z")
[audience response] Blueberries? Again? [/audience response] ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/63 "2005-04-01T04:08:12Z")
I will continue to have faith in Johnny Depp… It’s Veruca Salt that I’m concerned with. I loved Veruca in the original. ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/64 "2005-04-02T06:44:06Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > My daughter took one look at Johnny Depp and said “He looks like a woman!” I’m reminded of an article I read on Ain’t It Cool News about the lost and lamented (in our house, anyway) ABC series “Miracles,” in which one of the columnists described [Skeet Ulrich](http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p2209.htm) as “the male Johnny Depp.” ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/65 "2005-04-02T06:47:21Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > This is odd: my SO is under the impression that this movie is not a remake, but a sequel to the first film. That would mean that Depp is playing a grown-up Charlie who now runs the chocolate factory. > > This makes little sense to me, looking at the trailer – it looks like it depicts the same events as the first film and the books. It’s a remake. Trust me. I’m too lazy to scrub up a cite for you. - Peter Wiggen. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/66 "2005-04-02T07:03:26Z")
I liked _Sleepy Hollow_. Johnny Depp can do no wrong, IMO. I only hope this one doesn’t suck. That hairdo is annoying just to look at. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/67 "2005-04-03T01:54:34Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > It’s a remake. Trust me. I’m too lazy to scrub up a cite for you. > > - Peter Wiggen. It might be a little more true to say it is an adaptation of the book. ---
**Author:** ![sleepygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@sleepygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleepygirl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/68 "2005-04-11T14:42:19Z")
i was so excited to see the trailer for this one, being a big depp fan, and i was really let down. before i saw it, i thought if ANYONE could play gene wilder’s role, it would be JD, but after seeing the trailer, i’m not impressed. i’m sure i’ll see it of course, but i was really let down. it looked like some modern, techno, creepy version of the original. if you’re going to remake a classic (yes that’s what i consider it) keep to the original innocence of it. tim burton is a fantastic director, but i hope he didn’t go too far. it looked like that movie “brazil” or something. i’ll see it, i just hope it doesn’t taint the original. note-JD said he drew inspiration from marilyn manson. now i’m a marilyn manson fan, but i don’t know here. note 2-i think the overall apperance of JD is creeped out because of the teeth. too perfect, too white, just not good! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/69 "2005-04-11T15:13:21Z")
> [@sleepygirl](#): > > i was so excited to see the trailer for this one, being a big depp fan, and i was really let down. before i saw it, i thought if ANYONE could play gene wilder’s role, it would be JD, but after seeing the trailer, i’m not impressed. i’m sure i’ll see it of course, but i was really let down. it looked like some modern, techno, creepy version of the original. if you’re going to remake a classic (yes that’s what i consider it) keep to the original innocence of it. tim burton is a fantastic director, but i hope he didn’t go too far. it looked like that movie “brazil” or something. i’ll see it, i just hope it doesn’t taint the original. As has been noted, they did not remake the Gene Wilder movie. They made a new adaptation of the original Roald Dahl book. The “classic” movie took more than a few liberties with that book. ---
**Author:** ![odaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e0b2c6/32.png) [@odaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odaran)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/70 "2005-04-11T15:13:24Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > However, I’ve read that Burton thinks his movie is _not as dark_ as the first movie. That worries me a little, because I was thinking that if anything it would be darker. Not to nit pick but from [imdb.com](http://imdb.com), it looks like it was the screeplay writer that thought the original was darker. > **[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367594/trivia)** > > Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more... > [@imdb.com](#): > > Screenwriter John August had never even seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) when asked by Tim Burton to write the script. **After finishing the screenplay, he finally watched the 1971 version, only to be surprised at how much darker the “family film” was to his own.** Bolding mine Of course, Tim Burton could have said the same thing. P.S. I am really looking forward to this movie. I read the book before seeing the original movie and was disappointed with the changes that were made. Mind you I still loved the movie in and of itself but it was not until I heard the commentary on the DVD that I understood why the changes were made. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/71 "2005-04-11T15:44:16Z")
For some reason the trailer left me with the aftertaste of “A Clockwork Orange.” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is one of a very small number of videotapes/DVDs I actually own. I adored the Gene Wilder version - I think that man is so sexy and I don’t understand the attraction at all. First, someone changed the song in my head from “Immigrant Song” to “Time Warp,” now I have a mental image of Tim Curry and chocolate. I need to wash my hands. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/72 "2005-04-11T15:55:30Z")
> [@paperbackwriter](#): > > Willy Wonka is outright bat-shit insane. He just happens to be functionally insane in his own self-created world. I suppose that this could be thought of as MJ-like, but the creepiness isn’t from his attentions towards the “lucky” children. The collision of his insanity with the outside world, represented mainly by the parents of the kids, is creepy. From the trailer I’ve seen, it looks like Burton preserves this. > > Depp does bat-shit but functional insanity well. I think he’s a good choice. I’m looking forward to it. Heh, I can’t think of a single movie where Depp didn’t play “bat-shit but functional.” 😉 I’m very excited about this movie. I think it looks great, and I love the combination of Burton and Depp. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/73 "2005-04-11T20:01:53Z")
I don’t think a trailer with a bunch of scenes going by at a fast rate is the best to judge what the finished movie will be like. Hopefully a longer trailer will come out soon with some actual scenes shown. As for the Oompa Loompa, that site was questioning if it was an Oompa Loompa. Not definite. Somehow I don’t think that that guy in the space costume was an Oompa Loompa. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/74 "2005-04-11T20:06:22Z")
ARe there any face shots on the Web, of Depp as Wonka? That movie poster had him looking down. ---
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/75 "2005-04-11T20:25:48Z")
i just saw “once upon a time in mexico” on hbo a few nights ago, and johnny really, really looked like michael jackson in the end of that movie. but really, i have seen very few johnny depp movies that, at least, HE wasn’t interesting in. i think he’s pretty much always worth watching. but christopher walken would have been an inspired choice for wonka. or what about willem dafoe? he’s so disgusting. completely depraved. it’s like a car accident, i’m completely revulsed but i can’t look away. even when he doesn’t play that role (which is rare) i see him as the guy in “wild at heart.” ---
**Author:** ![Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chance_the_Gardener)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/76 "2005-04-11T20:28:17Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > As for the Oompa Loompa, that site was questioning if it was an Oompa Loompa. Not definite. Somehow I don’t think that that guy in the space costume was an Oompa Loompa. I think it might be. In the book (which Burton says he’s going to adhere to as closely as possible,) the Oompa-Loompas dress in red jumpsuits in the Television Chocolate Room, so I’m thinking this Oompa-Loompa is from that scene. Of course, though Burton does say he wants to adhere to the book, a preliminary glance at the cast list makes me wonder if he might be taking a few liberties, after all. For one, it appears that in the movie, each kid (except Charlie) will be accompanied by one parent, unlike in the book, where each (except Charlie) is accompanied by two. Of course, this is probably an excusable liberty, since ushering fifteen people into the Chocolate Room would be tricky for a screenplay, even if you knock off three of them at a time at decent intervals. Another thing I noticed is that there’s a character called Wilbur Wonka who’s going to appear in the new movie, and he never showed up in the book, nor the original movie. I don’t know what to make of that. (Wilbur Wonka, whoever he is, will be played by Christopher Lee, of _Star Wars_ fame.) Given these departures, it could be that there’s a guy in a space suit that’ll be doing something else in the picture, but I have a hunch that’s an Oompa-Loompa who’s working in the Television Room. As a fan of the book and of the original movie, I have to say I’m looking forward to the Burton movie, though I have a feeling it’s going to be different from both of the original two incarnations. One thing I’m very excited about is the Nut Room, which was replaced in the Wolper film by the Geese that Lay the Golden Eggs. Burton is bringing Dahl’s original Nut Room to life in his movie, which featured 100 trained squirrels breaking walnuts open. Burton, I understand, has not gone the obvious route and used CGI for this, but has instead raised squirrels from birth and trained them to break walnuts open—no kidding! From what I’ve read it was warm work, but Burton apparently has done it. I want to see the new Burton movie for many reasons, but just seeing how he got the Nut Room to work is something I’d pay ten bucks for. (There’s certainly some post-production tweaking to the Nut Room, but I’m counting that it’ll look authentic enough to be intriguing.) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/77 "2005-04-11T23:12:35Z")
**CalMeacham’s** daughter is right. Willy Wonka looks like a woman. I expect that this will be effective in making him come across as creepy, instead of just lovably odd (like Gene Wilder). Still, I suspect that the assosciation with Michael Jackson is something the producers weren’t anticipating. I’ll wait until I hear some reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/78 "2005-04-11T23:26:25Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > ARe there any face shots on the Web, of Depp as Wonka? That movie poster had him looking down. If you browse through the thread, there’re at least two links with good face-shots of Johnny Wonka. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/79 "2005-04-11T23:34:45Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > Rocky Horror Wonka…mmmmmmm, yummy! \ _Wonka Horror Picture Show_. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777/80 "2005-04-30T22:24:20Z")
I’m watching _Alice’s Restaurant_ right now and it occurred to me that Depp’s Wonka looks like Arlo Guthrie with straight hair. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willy-wonkas-appearance-in-the-new-tim-burton-film/296777.md?page=5)