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posted by martyb on Friday October 21 2016, @06:36AM   Printer-friendly
from the Oompa-Loompa-Reunion dept.

After helping build the "Harry Potter" franchise and rebooting it with "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," producer David Heyman and Warner Bros. are re-teaming to revive another classic character.

Sources tell Variety that Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to the "Willy Wonka" IP from the Roald Dahl Estate and is planning a new movie centered around the eccentric character.

Heyman will produce with Michael Siegel, who is the manager of the Dahl Estate. Kevin McCormick is exec producing. "The Secret Life of Pets" scribe Simon Rich is penning the script. Courtenay Valenti is overseeing the project for the studio.

Sources reveal that the film will not be an origin tale, but a standalone movie focused on Wonka and his early adventures. It's unknown who from the original book series, other than Wonka, will be involved in the project. If the reboot is a hit, it seems likely that characters like Charlie could be seen in future installments of a possible franchise.

https://variety.com/2016/film/news/willy-wonka-new-movie-david-heyman-warner-bros-1201894143/

Gene Wilder, who not only portrayed Willy Wonka in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, but also starred in “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Stir Crazy,” passed away on August 29 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 83.

https://archive.fo/zuFUY
https://web.archive.org/web/20161020104522/https://variety.com/2016/film/news/willy-wonka-new-movie-david-heyman-warner-bros-1201894143/


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  • (Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Friday October 21 2016, @09:24AM

    by Rivenaleem (3400) on Friday October 21 2016, @09:24AM (#417168)

    Summary needs correcting. It seems that this is not a remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" but is original work based on the character of Wonka, in other settings. Before he became a recluse in the factory, and after Charlie wins the competition, he had many other adventures.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by martyb on Friday October 21 2016, @12:40PM

    by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 21 2016, @12:40PM (#417209) Journal

    Summary needs correcting. It seems that this is not a remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" but is original work based on the character of Wonka, in other settings. Before he became a recluse in the factory, and after Charlie wins the competition, he had many other adventures.

    I reread the summary (and made some minor formatting changes and added an obit) but am failing to see what else needs to be changed. Oh wait, I see that the word "origin" (which was in the original version I saved) was changed to "original" -- I reverted that change.

    Other than that, nowhere in the summary do I see it saying that it is a "remake". What am I missing?

    --
    Wit is intellect, dancing.
    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday October 21 2016, @01:53PM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Friday October 21 2016, @01:53PM (#417234)

      In the same sentence that's talking about "rebooting the Harry Potter franchise," the word "revive" is used for Willy Wonka. Understandable assumption if you ask me. Plus those Hollywood types love rebooting stuff every chance they get.

      --
      "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
      • (Score: 2) by martyb on Friday October 21 2016, @03:09PM

        by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 21 2016, @03:09PM (#417275) Journal

        From the GP comment:

        It seems that this is not a remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" but is original work based on the character of Wonka, in other settings.

        From the parent comment:

        In the same sentence that's talking about "rebooting the Harry Potter franchise," the word "revive" is used for Willy Wonka. Understandable assumption if you ask me. Plus those Hollywood types love rebooting stuff every chance they get.

        From my perspective, the 2005 film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka) was a remake of the 1971 film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.) Both films are adaptations of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Though possibly differing somewhat in the particulars (e.g. the items sampled by the children), both have children of the same name, follow the same story line of winning a tour of the secretive factory, facing confectionery temptations, and only one surviving the test who becomes the new owner of the factory.

        On the other hand, a reboot means to me that the work starts at an early/earlier point in the story line, and changes something about the canonical story.

        On the gripping hand, to revive the Willy Wonka character encompasses many possibilities. It could be a remake, with a different person cast as Willy Wonka, or it could be an entirely different story with Willy Wonka having some sort of role. (This would be in contrast to, say reviving the character of Charlie.)

        I think we are both in agreement that the proposed work is likely not a remake. The text from Variety may not be as clearly written as it might have been, but what they wrote, they wrote; we just quoted it.

        I personally preferred the original film adaptation as the remake seemed more sinister and dark to me; I am not interested in yet another remake. Should this project proceed to fruition, I am looking forward to seeing more details revealed along the way.

        --
        Wit is intellect, dancing.
    • (Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Monday October 24 2016, @10:28AM

      by Rivenaleem (3400) on Monday October 24 2016, @10:28AM (#418092)

      If it is not "original" then it implies a remake. If it is not an origin story, then it can be either a remake or some other story with Willie as the main character. That was all.