It could soon be Oompa Loompa time for Johnny Depp.
 

It could soon be Oompa Loompa time for Johnny Depp.

Currently sailing the seas as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl's Captain Jack Sparrow, the thespian may be foregoing the rum for some everlasting gobstoppers--he's the frontrunner to play Willy Wonka in director Tim Burton's update of Roald Dahl's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, sources confirmed Wednesday.

Earlier reports initially had Warner Bros. and the helmer eyeing Christopher Walken and Michael Keaton as everyone's favorite Candy Man.

But Burton and Warners sweetened on Depp following the blockbuster success of Pirates of the Carribbean, according to Daily Variety. That swashbuckling adventure has grossed over $200 million worldwide and already has a sequel in the works.

If Burton punches Depp's golden ticket, it would mark the versatile actor's fourth starring role for the director: Depp cut up the screen as the title character in 1990's Edward Scissorhands, played the legendary cross-dressing, angora-obsessed B-moviemaker in 1994's Ed Wood and kept his head as Ichibod Crane in 1999's Sleepy Hollow.

Depp also has bona fides as a candy lover, having showed off his sweet tooth in the 2000 Miramax confection, Chocolat.

Warners has long wanted to redo the twisted kiddie story, but Dahl was never a big fan of the 1971 adaptation, titled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and starring Gene Wilder, which the author thought was half-baked (even though it's now considered a cult classic). Since his death, Dahl's estate has been hesitant to green-light another movie version.

Enter Burton, whose r?sum? includes such darkly stylish morsels as Batman and The Nightmare Before Christmas, as well as manic comic gems like Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, all of which share Dahl's off-kilter sensibilities. Burton also produced the 1996 animated version of Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. With Burton on board, the family signed off on the remake.

Warners believes a new Chocolate Factory will not only generate big business at the box office, but also lead to a windfall in the ancillary department, including DVD and game sales, merchandising and maybe even a stage musical ? la Disney's The Lion King.

Wonka is being produced by Brad Grey, Michael Siegel (who reps the Dahl estate) and Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. The studio has tapped scribe Pamela Pettler to write the latest version.

If all goes well, expect to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Oompa Loompa its way into theaters sometime in 2005.

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is a great book and a classic movie. I personally don't think they should be making a remake because I have this suspiscion that it's going to be CRAP.

And Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. I don't think so! Yes, he is odd, but he's not the right type of odd to pay Willy Wonka.

Is Hollywood already out of ideas that it has to start remaking movies?

I love every movie he's been in...especially Powder. I too don't see him as the lead, but dang he is so amazing I wouldn't say count him out.

WHY oh WHY do they take a great classic and remake it before it has lost it's edge. It's not exactly the type of movie that ages like
those centered around tech or have cars dating to the 60s or 70's. Gene Wilder is a MASTER of that role. It's kind of like music.
Why does everyone want to remix/make a classic song?

Lady Pi Phi-Is Hollywood already out of ideas that it has to start remaking movies?

edited to add-I'll FAINT if they ever touch Wizard of OZ!

i've read that roald dahl(the author of charlie & the chocolate factory) absolutely hated and was ashamed of the original version of the film..

I don't know about this. Even though the original film seems cheesy now, many of us grew up on it so we really don't care...It's classic. I don't know that even Johnny Depp could make this a good idea.

The original movie is a classic. And, I must add, it's my favorite movie of all time! No remaking it! Movie remakes hardly ever are as good as the original. Look at what happened with the remake of "The Time Machine". It bombed!

I've never been a Johnny Depp fan, so I must admit that's one of my reasons for not wanting to see him play this role, although I thought he was excellent in Pirates of The Carribean.

I'm assuming he thought it was too weird? Well, if that's the case, he's going to be spinning 55mph once Tim Burton gets his hands on it.

Yep... it's the current trend nowadays. I'll stick to watching James Bond films; the actors may change but the formula's stayed pretty much the same for over 40 years! :)

James Bond Rules!!!!!!:D

Fawkin-A! If it's the original "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" this movie is going to ROCK. Maybe even as much as the original.

I don't like the look of it.

Part of the reason I love the movie is that it's steeped in all of this 1970s cheesiness. A 2005 version will be all high-tech and digified. No fun!

i think it was because it wasn't quite the vision he had for his work..it was too cartoonish..he didn't like the fact that it was a musical..

I alwasy enjoyed Tim Burton's workd, minus Planes of the Apes, so I'll be very interested in this movie. It'll definately be a weird one, and I think Christopher Walken would be great as the grand father. Though the movie would just be too evil and creepy.

I love Tim Burton; Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my alltime favorite movies.

I think Johnny Depp is a really underrated actor who could really do justice to Willy Wonka.

I'd definitely go see a remake!

Here, here! I definately agree!

I think the original "Chocolate Factory" is wonderful, it's one of my favorite movies. But one of the reasons I think it works so well is because the director and the actors envisioned Willy Wonka as a semi-psychotic character. That part of Wonka bled over into the rest of the film, making it a strange, Pink-Floyd-like acid trip. And yet, with all that 70s campiness, it retained the essence of what Roald Dahl wrote. As far as I see it, it was the interpretation of the story that made the film a classic.

So consider this if you will: if you read the book without ever having seen the movie, the semi-psychotic aspect of the Wonka character isn't so clear. If they're re-making the movie, re-capturing Gene Wilder's approach is going to be tough, and I don't think even Tim Burton could pull it off. But, if they're re-telling the story, I'm sure Tim Burton will do it justice, Johnny Depp or not. While Johnny'll probably never be the "Wilder Wonka" as we know him- is that what we really want? Johnny Depp trying to be Gene Wilder in an updated version of the film? No, probably not.
Hollywood isn't re-making movies, they're re-telling stories. And why not? They're better than the new stuff coming out now. Cases in point: Swimfan, FearDotCom, 28 Days Later, etc.

Doompa-Dee-Doo.

There are quite a few differences between the movie and the book (the most crucial being the fact that the book lacked Charlie vs. Wonka confict of any kind) and while I can appreciate the movie for what it is (a crazy cheesy 70s cult classic), the book's version of the story is far better. I think the writers of the screenplay decided that the story didn't work without a conflict that would lead to some sort of "climax," but the climax in the movie feels pretty forced, and I think the movie could have worked better without it.

I think that instead of remaking the movie, which will fail no matter how good of a job they do because too many of us associate the trippy Gene Wilder version with our childhoods, they should do a closer adaptation of the book this time.

Need I even mention how excited I would be to see Johnny Depp in that role? It would either be completely brilliant or too bad to watch.

HRMP.

I'm still waiting for a movie adaptation of the sequel. You know, the one with the glass elevator??

As a kid, I liked that book even better than the first one! It was way cool! Space aliens and stuff! :)

JAM, Johnny Depp wasn't in Powder. :)

I like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory the way that it is.

Cream, I gotta agree with you. And no matter how much I would like to see Johnny Depp in funny clothes, I don't think anyone should mess with that movie!!

He was only cool in 21 Jump Street. Since then, it's been a real free fall in terms of his career.

-Rudey
--That was such a cool show.

*BUMP*

Has anyone seen it yet? I want to go tonight but I'm guessing the theater will be packed tonight.
I'm curious what everyone thinks. Some critics are giving the movie the highest ratings while others are saying it's just mediocre.

I haven't seen it yet, and while I do plan to, from the trailers, Johnny Depp seems kind of creepy in the movie, in a Michael Jackson'esque kind of way.

I'm curious about it to. I love JD, but he does look a bit creepy in this movie.

I just got back from seeing it, and I loved it. I heard that Roald Dahl's family commissioned Burton to redo it and they were much happier with this version since they loathed the original. Gene Wilder has been speaking out against this one, but the original wasn't true to the book. I thought the effects were good and it was very entertaining :) I thought I wouldn't like Johnny Depp's version of Wonka after seeing the previews, but I actually liked it a lot. He's odd in an endearing sort of way, not in a Jacko sense.

for some reason the characters look funny in the previews. maybe its the lighting. anyways, i dont plan of watching this.

Interesting...
 

I just got back from seeing this one and it was good. Different from the first but in a good way. I missed the oompa loompas though, they just aren't the same now.

It is much truer to the book and Depp did good, he wasn't as good as he was in Pirates of the Carribean but I think it will be hard for him to top that role.

There are some funny one liners in it which was good for the adults but I think a lot of it went over the kids heads. My son was very confused but I think he is still a little young

:)

The special effects were good and really added to it.

Overall I think it was good but for those of us who grew up on the first it will be a little hard to watch (I was comparing a lot). Depp and Wilder were so different as Wonka it is impossible to compare them though.

Worth seeing, maybe hold off on kids under 7 or so going.

Re: Interesting...
 

I loved this movie! I thought it was magical :)

Johnny Depp was fantastic as Willie Wonka. In fact, I thought every actor in the film did a great job. It definitely had that signature Tim Burton "feel" to it, plus Danny Elfman did the score so those things might not be to everyone's liking but I'm a Tim Burton fan (as are my daughters) and I thought it was terrific.

Oh, and I definitely agree with the poster upthread who mentioned the one liners that went over most of the kids' heads.

And AGD's will love the squirrel scene! :)

We saw the late show last night in a nearly empty theater. I really enjoyed it. It was definitely different than the first and definitely a Tim Burton film, but still a good show.

I thought some of the dialogue was a bit forced in spots, but all the actors did a very good job. The audio was turned up a little too loud in our theater which made it difficult to understand parts of the Oompa Loompa songs, but I liked how they used one guy for all the Oompa Loompas.

The first thing my mom said when we got out of the movie theater was every time she looked at Willy Wonka it made her think of Michael Jackson.


I am a HUGE fan of the original. I grew up watching it and know every line. I loaned my tape to the kids I babysit for a couple months ago and still haven't gotten it back because they like to watch it at least once a week. They already know most of the lines in it too.

I went with my mom to watch the new one at the theater last night. I liked it. It was different from the original but in a good way. The original will always be my favorite though!

I saw it. Liked it a lot. Lot of funny one liners and those kids were annoyingly charming.

And I had all of the new Oompa Loompa songs stuck in my head later that evening.

Augustus was played by a real kid in a fat suit.

And it was current day. Tim Burton just likes things eccentric and made the characters really odd (like the 70's Teevee family)

I went to see it this week. I liked it, I was entertained...
but I don't think it will stand the test of time next to the original.

I have been wanting to see this foreverrrrrrr since I heard it was being made! I have yet to go see it cause my best friend/roomy wants me to go with her to see it and well that still hasnt happened. Especially since the last few days her home as been at the hospital, thankfully she came home yesterday. BUT STILL I HAVE TO SEE IT AND I WANT TO GO SEE IT!!! :mad:

Not sure I liked it...I was wondering how the kids liked it since it was kinda more serious. Hubby thought it was great.

Of course I loved the squirrels:D except when they were attacking that poor child! Even that would cause me nightmares..I was thinking of The Birds move:p :p

Everytime I saw the previews I kept thinking "what a creepy movie" (and not in a good way). But I went to see this movie with my cousins yesterday and I actually enjoyed it. It made me laugh. It is very different from the original, but the thing i really liked (that made it different) was the background that was given. I'd watch it again.

I cracked up with the oompa loompa...lol. I bet that guy will be known from now on as the oompa loompa.---hahaha "Doris"

I knew I wasn't the only one thinking those squirrels were cool! ;)

I FINALLY SAW IT LAST NIGHT (wait where I am its techincally wednesday so i actually saw it monday)!!! LOVED IT! I wanna go see it again, buy it, and maybe the soundtrack...Call me a freak for doing that but hey I loved the original I love this one. Both are cute and funny in their own ways. I give it two thumbs up!

I finally got around to seeing it last night. I didn't want to go while the movie was in its opening weeks because I hate crowded theaters.
The movie was good but I still like the original more. I like the Willy Wonka that Gene Wilder played better. Johnny's Depp's acting was superb but his character was creepy. I also got the warm fuzzy feeling from the ending in the original that I didn't get in the remake.