Gene's Not Wild About Wonka
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy
The actor, who portrayed the eccentric factory owner Willy Wonka in the 1971 original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory thinks the upcoming remake is "pointless." Gene Wilder dismissed the new film as a money-making ploy, which it is - lets face it - but that doesn't mean it can't be a good movie... does it?"It's all about money," Wilder told Contact Music. "It's just some people sitting around thinking, 'How can we make some more money?' Why else would you remake Willy Wonka? I don't see the point of going back and doing it all over again.
"I like Johnny Depp, and I appreciate that he has said on record that my shoes will be hard to fill. But I don't know how it will all turn out."
Sounds like the original Wonka is mad, no Golden tickets for this film! But this whole thing gives me a good idea. I'm going to e-mail our CEO and see if we can hire Wilder to review the movie when it comes out for Cinematical. Now wouldn't that be cool?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
truthseeker said...
I did not even read this article. I do not have to. Another old actor resenting a remake. Remember The Manchurian Candidate and Angela Lansbery's comments?
This is what the film industry is all about money making. That is why it is called industry not L'art Du Cinema.
Good for Tim Burton for making another film and bringing his dark spirit to the screen.
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6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
CJ said...
I thought I heard that's its NOT a direct remake. Depp/Burton's film is said to be more accurate to the writer's book, which the first movie really wasn't. Will be interesting to see how different it's gonna be. But maybe it doesn't matter, because it will be compared to Wilder's film no matter what...
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6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
John said...
True, this isn't a remake of the previous movie.
Interesting fact that slips by some people: The book was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Wilder starred in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." The Tim Burton version, however, goes back to the original book title.
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6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
dan said...
all I'm saying is neither Wilder nor Depp have sported the goatee of Dahl's original Wonka, which in both cases is a sin unredeemable.
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6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Julia said...
Something I found interesting -- Roald Dahl detested the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory because it took so many liberties with his book. Hopefully, Tim Burton's version will allow Mr. Dahl to rest peacefully.
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6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Cel said...
i have to agree with wilder -- the remake seems a bit pointless to me. it would be nice if all that "movie magic" and money could be used to film something a bit more original than a remake (however "not really a remake" it may be) of a particularly good film.
cel
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6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Nicole said...
First off, ContactMusic is hardly a reputable site -- it seems like most of their articles and quotes are twisted or fabricated.
Secondly, I just watched Gene Wilder on Conan O'Brien not too long ago, and he was sounded more excited to see Tim Burton's version because he knew that it would be completely different. He did indeed say that if anyone was going to play the same role, he would only want Johnny Depp. I highly doubt Wilder would object to a film that is far more true to the story.
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