‘I think it’s an insult’: Gene Wilder made it clear what he thought of ‘Willy Wonka’ remakes

With the trailer for Wonka dropping yesterday, eager fans who’ve been waiting to see how Timothée Chalamet tackles the famous character in a prequel nobody asked for were given their first taste of the new film. And, let’s just say, it didn’t taste quite as sweet as many were expecting, with plenty of watchers finding the small slice of the talented actor’s performance that was revealed to us was lacking when it came to edge, and overdone on the whimsy to the point of being awkward. Additionally, many fans are worried that the plot will be overly generic, which is something that can’t be said about the Roald Dahl novel that it’s based on. Chalamet — despite being a brilliant performer who’s displayed a ton of range in films as diverse as Call Me By Your Name, Dune, and Don’t Look Up — was always going to be subject to these kinds of criticisms, mostly because of the celebrated performance that came from the most famous Wonka to have ever graced our screens: Gene Wilder.

The legendary actor had a life worthy of the films he was in, and he was also totally unafraid to speak his mind on a wide range of topics, but especially the film industry. Although he made his name as a comedic actor in the films of the equally legendary Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) and is widely known for starring alongside his fellow funnyman Richard Pryor (See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Stire Crazy), he is undoubtedly most famous for his iconic portrayal of Willy Wonka in the classic 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. And it’s this performance that has become the benchmark that Chalamet is now struggling to beat.

Wilder was never afraid to voice his opinions on all kinds of matters, including his dissatisfaction with Hollywood, and a particular hate for the dull, unoriginal projects that flooded cinemas in the latter part of his life. So, it makes sense that in a rare interview in 2013 with famous film historian Robert Osborne he was unequivocal about his dislike of the 2005 Willy Wonka film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When asked if he was “bothered” by remakes of his classic films (with Osborne specifically name-checking 1971s Willy Wonka), Wilder responded:

“Oh, I think it’s an insult. And it’s probably Warner Brothers’ insult, I think. I like Warner Brothers for other reasons, but to do that with Johnny Depp… ooo. Who I think is a good actor, and I like him, but I don’t care for that director [Tim Burton]. And he’s a talented man, but I don’t care for him for doing stuff like he did.”

Not exactly mincing his words, and given what we’ve seen of the trailer for the new movie (which is directed by Paddington‘s Paul King), we’re not entirely sure he’d have anything more positive to say about the upcoming Wonka. The movie will be a musical fantasy, and chronicles the famous chocolate maker’s early life as he struggles to build his sweet empire. Other stars who will appear include Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson, and Olivia Coleman.

Unlike what we’ve seen from Chalamet so far (and the thankfully forgettable slop that Johnny Depp served up), Wilder managed to convey a hint of menace that made watchers of the 1971 movie worry that he might, in fact, simply let all the kids in the factory die, and probably laugh about it after. Throughout the film, the magical-seeming chocolatier has a faery-like edge to him, but in a more traditional, mischievous and occasionally dangerous sense rather than the more modern interpretation.

It’s this interplay between the childish, whimsical world of chocolate and the cold-hearted, almost ghost story-like mythos that Wonka displays in the 1971 film that makes Wilder’s turn as the boss of the Oompa-Loompas so memorable. Sadly, it appears Chalamet hasn’t managed to channel this; whether it’s because of a poor script, or simply a rare case of a trailer utilizing the worst bits of a film instead of its high moments, will only be revealed when the new movie is released. At least we know it can’t be worse than the indulgent Depp/Burton mess.

Wonka is set to hit our screens on December 15 of this year.