Willy Wonka

This article is about the fictional character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. For the candy company, see, The Willy Wonka Candy Company.

Willy Frigen Wonka
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character
First appearance	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Created by	Roald Dahl
Portrayed by	Gene Wilder (1971) Johnny Depp (2005) Maurice LaMarche (Commercials)

Willy Wonka is a fictional character in the 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the film adaptations that followed. The book and the 1971 film adaption both vividly depict an eccentric Wonka — a feature arising from his creative genius. He annoys the other characters with his antics, though Charlie sees Wonka's behavior as a positive trait. In the 2005 film adaption, Willy Wonka's eccentricity is viewed more as a sympathetic character flaw. These aspects of Wonka's personality are explained in Burton's version by a strained, conflicted relationship with his father, the dentist Wilbur Wonka.

Characterization

1971 version

Movie Poster

A musical film adaptation of Roald Dahl's book Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, titled Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, was directed by Mel Stuart and starred Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It was released in 1971. It was originally a box office disappointment, but has since been considered a children's classic by critics, and has attracted a worldwide audience. This film added some dialogue with references to poetry, including Shakespeare, that were not in the novel. The film also included a rival chocolate maker offering the children money if they betrayed Wonka and provided him with an Everlasting Gobstopper, but this turns out to be a morality test set by Wonka to determine the finders' worth. Another departure from the novel had Charlie disobeying Willy Wonka with the encouragement of Grandpa Joe and drinking a soda that made them drift up to the ceiling, although they were able to cancel out the effects before they floated out of the room. It appears that Wonka is unaware of Charlie's transgression, but at the end of the tour he reveals that he knew all along and denies Charlie of the prize. An enraged Grandpa Joe declares that he will give Slugworth the Gobstopper in revenge, but Charlie refuses to betray Wonka and sets it on his desk. This prompts Wonka to clear Charlie of his misdeed and declare him the new owner of his factory when he retires.

2005 version

New Movie Poster

New Movie Poster

Another film version, entitled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and directed by Tim Burton, was released on July 15, 2005; this version starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, changing the traits of the character significantly, and Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket. The Brad Grey production was a hit, grossing about $470 M worldwide with an estimated budget of $150 M. It was distributed by Warner Bros. this time. Burton's version added a back story of the character, in which Willy Wonka was the son of a dentist named Wilbur Wonka (played by Christopher Lee). Wonka had a traumatic childhood, as his father locked him into dreadful orthodontics that bore more resemblance to a medieval torture device, and every Halloween, he would burn his son's candy in the fireplace. Eventually, Willy tastes chocolate after sneaking a piece that had fallen from the fire, and starts getting ideas for other candies. Shortly after, he runs away from home when his father forbids him from becoming a chocolatier. When he becomes an adult, Wonka opens his own candy store, with Grandpa Joe being one of Wonka's first employees. Then several of Wonka's rivals, notably Mr. Slugworth, plant spies in Wonka's factory to steal Wonka's recipes. Wonka became very concerned about that his rivals might ruin him and he closed his factory forever by sending all his workers home not sure of which one has been helping his rivals. Additionally, in Burton's film, Wonka initially refuses to allow Charlie to bring his family to his factory. An eventual reconciliation between Wonka and his father causes Wonka to change his mind and allow Charlie's family to move in with him as well. At this point, it is revealed that Dr. Wonka, despite his dislike of candy, came to greatly admire Willy while he was away, and made a habit of collecting and framing newspaper articles about Willy's great success in the chocolate industry along the years.

Nestlé's mascot

Main article: The Willy Wonka Candy Company

An animated version of Willy Wonka, based on Gene Wilder's portrayal and Quentin Blake's illustrations, serves as a mascot for Nestlé's Willy Wonka Candy Company brand. He appears on the packaging, marketing, and in the company's television commercials. Animated versions of Oompa-Loompas are seen on the website.

References

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External links

• "Willy Wonka" the stage musical
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film website
• The Willy Wonka Candy Company