Tim Burton and the Chocolate Factory

[on:]

As you may or may not have heard, Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, the Nightmare Before Christmas, etc) is currently working on a remake to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Now I know not many people were big fans of Planet of the Apes, but I feel Burton will do a pretty decent job on this remake. Some people claim that Burton's style is too morbid for a remake of such a lighthearted classic, but I disagree. What about Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and even though Nightmare Before Christmas had a somewhat morbid setting it was pretty family-friendly as well. But maybe my opinions are biased considering I'm such a Burton and Depp fan (Yes, Depp will be playing Wonka). What do you think?

[Reply #1 on:]

I'm really looking forward to it.  I wasn't a fan of the original film because it seemed overly child-friendly.  The book was pretty disturbing for some children, and the movie actually scared me (I thought I would turn into a blueberry as a little kid).  I'm a HUGE Burton and Depp fan, and I see Depp as drawing from Benny & Joon and Pirates of the Caribbean for his role, but he always comes up with great character combinations (Donald Rumsfeld and Snoopy's brother Spike, anyone?).  I'm eagerly anticipating this film, but I think I'm more looking forward to Burton's The Corpse Bride, which is also due out in 2005 (Wonka supposedly comes out in summer '05, with Corpse Bride set for October).  I love stop-motion films, and the folktale it is based on is one of my favorite stories (though the ending is really lame).  I'm sure Caroline Thompson's script will put a nice twist on the tale. 

[Reply #2 on:]

DEAR GOD NO!

How in all of hell can they think of remaking a movie starring my favorite actor of all time, Gene Wilder!? UNTHINKABLE!

And not only that, I found Edward Scissorhands to be a horrific movie (in terms of how much it sucked) and honestly wish I had never seen it. Depp is an okay actor, but he can't compare to Gene. No way, jose.

[Reply #3 on:]

 

Originally posted by Asylum-Fry:
DEAR GOD NO!

How in all of hell can they think of remaking a movie starring my favorite actor of all time, Gene Wilder!? UNTHINKABLE!

And not only that, I found Edward Scissorhands to be a horrific movie (in terms of how much it sucked) and honestly wish I had never seen it. Depp is an okay actor, but he can't compare to Gene. No way, jose.

Congratulations AF, you're the first person I've ever met who didn't like Edward Scissorhands. I like Depp and Wilder the same, mainly because of Gene's performances in Silent Movie and Young Frankenstein. I stil think Depp can carry this movie. The only Depp movie I'v ever seen that I didn't like is Chocolat ,which as Jimmy Fallon put it, was Chocoboring.

[Reply #4 on:]

Aw, burton is great (so is edward scizzorhands)...and the original movie wasn't very faithful to the book anyway. If ANYONE should do this it's him.

[Reply #5 on:]

I think 99% of remakes suck ass. It sucks that there remakeing Willy Wonka.

[Reply #6 on:]

"You go, Homer Jay!"


As much I enjoyed Batman and Edward Scissorhands, just can't picture ANY remake of Willy Wonka movie.


So in the coming years, we can expect 90% of new movies to be remakes?!

Kinda seems we're heading there really fast.   

[Reply #7 on:]

Tim burtons spin on the movie could be awesome, So im all for it..

[Reply #8 on:]

Does anyone know - is this a remake of the movie, or is this a new movie based on the book?

[Reply #9 on:]

I believe it's a remake of the book, which is a lot better than the movie.

[Reply #10 on:]

I've been satisfied everytime Burton and Depp work together. I think this one will be good, also.

[Reply #11 on:]

I love Tim Burtons unique style. I don't particuarly like the original movie anyway, so it shouldn't be too hard for him to top it in my eyes 

[Reply #12 on:]

I can imagine it now Tim Burtons charlie and the chocolate factory will be an unique experience like all other Tim Burton films and will be made the way i imagined it when i first read the book a dark fantasy with twisted humour.

[Reply #13 on:]

I like Tim Burton's style yes, but I'm not so sure about this remake.

[Reply #14 on:]

If Charlie and the chocolate factory fails to impress we'll still have Burton's upcoming film Big Fish to dazzle us.

[Reply #15 on:]

As I was reading this thread I Started humming "I've Got A Golden Ticket" and "Pure Imagination" in my head.  Then I realized those songs will not be in Burton's remake, and made myself sad.  why don't they do The BFG istead?  Or remake The Witches, and do it well this time around?  Or, if they're really commited to this, make Willy Wonka and the Great Glass Elevator as a sequel to the 1st movie.  There are loads of great Rohald Dahl stories that remian unfilmed, do one of them!

Oh well, I'd stil rather have Burton helming this project then it's original director, Gary Ross (he wrote/directed Pleasentville and Seabiscut and just wrote Big and Dave).

[Reply #16 on:]

Speaking of Edward Scissorhands... one of my friends tried to explain it to me after we watched it. So... Eddie invented snow by making a giant ice sculpture? And why was there a cliched, foreboding dark castle at the top of a hill next to an infinite suburb? Who in their right mind would give Eddie scissors for hands first, and then wait to give him some plastic hands after? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS MOVIE?

Digressing, digressing...

Any time someone has made a movie out of a book, it's different. Fact of life. You can't suddenly demand a word-for-word movie of a book, it has never happened before. Unfortunately, if Burton makes Willy Wonka as disturbing as he did with Edward Scissorhands, and if he leaves out the tunnel scene (my favorite part and song, damn it), I will be horribly disappointed.

There's nothing I can do to stop them making the movie, but all I know is that it will be a letdown for me. No amazing show of special effects, or new actors, will make me think more highly of it than the original.

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by Asylum-Fry:
Speaking of Edward Scissorhands... one of my friends tried to explain it to me after we watched it. So... Eddie invented snow by making a giant ice sculpture? And why was there a cliched, foreboding dark castle at the top of a hill next to an infinite suburb? Who in their right mind would give Eddie scissors for hands first, and then wait to give him some plastic hands after? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS MOVIE?

I can understand where Edward Scissorhands could be confusing to some people, I had to explain to a few of my friends who loved the movie but just didn't get it, that it was a commentary of how superficial our society is and how people who act, think, and look differently are treated. Edward isn't the monster in that movie, the suburbanites are. Some parts don't make sense because Burton wanted to make it a modern day fairy tale, and if you look at most fairy tales they usualy have off-the-wall things as well.


 

Any time someone has made a movie out of a book, it's different. Fact of life. You can't suddenly demand a word-for-word movie of a book, it has never happened before. Unfortunately, if Burton makes Willy Wonka as disturbing as he did with Edward Scissorhands, and if he leaves out the tunnel scene (my favorite part and song, damn it), I will be horribly disappointed.

I don't like most book-to-movie movies either, but the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", which you praised in your first post, wasn't true to the book either, yet it's good.

 

There's nothing I can do to stop them making the movie, but all I know is that it will be a letdown for me. No amazing show of special effects, or new actors, will make me think more highly of it than the original.

Tim Burton doesn't try to dazzle us with special effects and he certainly doesn't cast tons of familiar celebrities (Johnny Depp really got into films because of Burton, even though he had been in a couple of other movies), he only uses SFX when perfectly necessary. Burton relies mainly on storyline and the relationships between his characters, he's not going to try to cater to the mainstream media with this movie.

I'm looking forward to it.

[Reply #18 on:]

 

Originally posted by OC_James:
  Tim Burton doesn't try to dazzle us with special effects and he certainly doesn't cast tons of familiar celebrities (Johnny Depp really got into films because of Burton, even though he had been in a couple of other movies), he only uses SFX when perfectly necessary. Burton relies mainly on storyline and the relationships between his characters, he's not going to try to cater to the mainstream media with this movie.

I'm looking forward to it.

Eh, I was being general. Any number of people could have decided to make the remake, I'd be mad at whoever would do it. I didn't know what Burton's style is, so I was simply saying that if he were to use special effects or actors, I'd still find it a letdown.

[Reply #19 on:]

Really! Thats Great! I love Tim Burton! I hope it dose well!

[Reply #20 on:]

Thats great, they are going to remake and ruin a classic film. I hope it gets horrible reviews.

[Reply #21 on:]

Man, Edward Sciscorhands is the SHIZZLE fo SHEAZY. I just can't fathom in my mind how a castle in a suburban area could ruin a mostly ethereal, surreal fairy tale kind of story. The snow thing was supposed to be like a myth--lots of myths explaining natural phenomena are just as non-sensical. I dunno. You're entitled to your opinion and all, I just love that movie.

I never liked the original Wille Wonka THAT much. When movies are remade but made more closely following the book I try and view them as a separate entity, not comparing them to the original. If someone did a remake of the Wizard of Oz based on the books and not the movie, it would REALLY be a horse of a different color.

 

[Reply #22 on:]

 

Originally posted by Coop:
Thats great, they are going to remake and ruin a classic film. I hope it gets horrible reviews.

I second that, Coop.

Also, Squeezit, was THAT what the movie was about? Making snow... as though there never had been any before... I found that by the end I wasn't sure what the point was.

[Reply #23 on:]

Well that's why I brought up the point of myths--myths assume that something never existed before whatever occurence caused it to exist.

And no, I don't think the whole point of that movie was Tim Burton's way of saying "this is how snow was made." The snow thing just tied into the little girl being told a story about where snow came from.

I always thought the point was more about how people can react so harshly to people that are different--either by a disability or from being gifted. And about jealousy and misunderstanding and avon ladies. I dunno, I just like it. 

I REALLY don't see Johnny Depp in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Seriously. I mean, Depp is awesome, but he just ain't no Willy Wonka.    Guess I'll just have to wait and seeeeeeee 

[Reply #24 on:]

There will NEVER be a better version than the one with Gene Wilder. So they shouldn't even try.

*hums the Oompa-Loompa song*

[Reply #25 on:]

I'm with Kryten.  The Gene Wilder version is an undisputed classic.  Burton and Depp will probably just spew out 100 minutes of over CGI-ed blandness with about as much soul as Jar Jar Binks.

[Reply #26 on:]

Well, I wanna see how much freakier he can make it. That'll be hard to top, the orignal was freaky as hell. Its the film of children's nightmares!

But I'd quite like to see him make a go of this actually. I've only seen one of Tim's films and that was The Nightmare Before Christmas, but if thats anything to go by, then this film should be right up his street 

[Reply #27 on:]

 

Originally posted by Kryten:
There will NEVER be a better version than the one with Gene Wilder. So they shouldn't even try.

Right on, Kryten.

[Reply #28 on:]

I haven't seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory since I was a kid.  I don't remember what it was like.  I guess I'll have to watch it again soon.

Remakes of movies usually end up with a high degree of suckitude to them.  It will be interesting to see how Tim Burton handles the job.

Gene Wilder is in one of my all time favorite movies, Blazing Saddles.  The Waco Kid rules!

[Reply #29 on:]

I have to said what the Professor said on CN's airing tonight would be given to Johnny Depp:

"Tell Tim I hated him!!!" 

[Reply #30 on:]

 

Originally posted by Kryten:
There will NEVER be a better version than the one with Gene Wilder.

Granted, but are you willing to concede that, due to the high quality of the source material, they may produce a version just as good?

[Reply #31 on:]

tim burton's work has always struck me as very inconsistent. sometimes i think he lets his visual style overtake the movie itself (i. e. planet of the apes, mars attacks, batman), resulting in a mediocre movie that's skimpy on plot details. but other times, he blends and balances it out quite nicely, inserting enough charm to make it work. a nightmare before christmas, for example, is my personal favorite; i loved beetlejuice, sleepy hollow, and edward scissorhands (which brings me to my next point about how talented johnny depp is, though i've yet to see ed wood).

a willy wonka movie from tim burton would probably be extremely stylized, but depp could add enough charm to pull it off. it'll probably be a hell of a lot weider than the original (and that's saying something).

as great as gene wilder's performance was, johnny depp could probably do a fine job of capturing that childlike innocence. and who knows? he may try for something completely different.

[Reply #32 on:]

I just watched the later part of Nightmare Before Christmas, and now I'm just freaking scared.

What will Burton DO to this childhood classic? Nightmare was so sexually suggestive, I'm horrified he's doing the remake. That charlatan of a children's movie director!

*hides in a corner*

God damn, why is he the one doing the remake!?!?!

[Reply #33 on:]

Burton did not direct Nightmare before Christmas.  That was Henry "MonkeyBone" Selick.

[Reply #34 on:]

The problem with remakes and sequels and whatnot is that everyone already has a favorite version and constantly compares the two.  You have to evaluate them as two different films.  That's what I did for Cradle of Life and Full Throttle, and I really enjoyed both movies.  The way I see it is that Roald Dahl had intentions for this film that were not actualized in Willy Wonka.  I'm a fan of Dahl's work, and I think his messages and underlying themes should have been present in the first movie.  Since it was toned down to be child-friendly, I'm hoping the new film will bring those Dahl's dark ideas to light.  I happen to be a fan of dark films, and I'd like to see the author's original intent, rather than the sugary, smiley first try.

[Reply #35 on:]

I realize it's not a possibilty, but no Gene Wilder?  I think the Mel Brooks fan in me is going to go have a good cry.

Sherrif Bart: "Are we awake?"
The Waco Kid: "I don't know... are we... black?"
Sherrif Bart: "Yes."
The Waco Kid: "Then we're awake... but we're very confused."

[Reply #36 on:]

 

Originally posted by Asylum-Fry:
DEAR GOD NO!

How in all of hell can they think of remaking a movie starring my favorite actor of all time, Gene Wilder!? UNTHINKABLE!

Wow, you and Kryten like Gene too?

I loved his classic laste 70' early 80's comedy stuff. And Young Frankenstein.

[Reply #37 on:]

Nightmare Before Christmas--sexually suggestive?

My brain is exploding

I love that movie--and although I never really saw it as something sexually suggestive, I'm not altogether opposed to sexually suggestive things  .

How can you mention Gene Wilder and forget Blazing Saddles?

Ohhh man Beetlejuice is the best movie ever. I love Tim Burton. Sure he's had his flops, but Beetlejuice makes up for any of them.

[Reply #38 on:]

*Falls on his keyboard in shame for forgetting blazing sadles*

[Reply #39 on:]

 

Originally posted by Kryten:
There will NEVER be a better version than the one with Gene Wilder. So they shouldn't even try.

I agree. The original was actually "good" and I don't see why they need to remake it. Unless Willy Wonka actually molests and eats children in the new one... That'd be cloolsome