Johnny Depp's latest creepy, over-the-top character is about to role out in his delicious new movie "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" which opens this Friday.
Johnny plays Willy Wonka, an odd loner who launches a worldwide contest to name an heir to his chocolate factory and fortune. By finding the golden tickets in candy bars, five children, including a little boy named Charlie Bucket, win the chance to tour Willy Wonka's factory and all the wonders that lie within.
And what wonders they are! The fantastic factory is manned by an army of Oompa-Loompas who ride in a dragon-headed boat down a chocolate river, past crops of twisted candy cane trees, mint-sugar grass, marshmallow cherry cream shrubs, and mountains made of fudge. In addition to the incredible sets, director Tim Burton created a Nut Room manned by real squirrels instead of computer image graphics. An animal wrangler spent 19 weeks training 40 furry workers to sit on tiny stools and crack nuts and place them on a conveyor belt over and over and over again, faster than any machine. A truly Burton-eque touch!, For Depp fans, the actor was recently interviewed about the movie at comingsoon.net in an article entitled "Depp by Chocolate." Some excerpts:
CS: We have to ask about the everpresent Michael Jackson comparisons. Did that ever come up while you were making the movie?
Depp: It actually never crossed my mind, oddly enough. Michael Jackson was not an ingredient or inspiration for the character at all. A few people have mentioned it, and it kind of took me by surprised because I really didn't expect that. I guess on some level I can understand. There's a little bit of a look, but you can easily think of some other recluse like Howard Hughes as well. Roald Dahl wrote this book and wrote this character, and it was published in 1964. Michael Jackson was a wee lad then, so I don't think he was inspired by him either.
Which of the children do you think you were most like as a child?
Depp: I'd like to think that I was like Charlie, but I don't think I was, because my mom uses the term "hellion." I wasn't obnoxious or precocious, but I was curious. There were a lot of practical jokes and things like that. I got on her nerves basically. I pissed her off quite frequently.
What kind of risks did you feel that you were taking by playing this role?
Depp: To the fans of the book and the fans of the 1971 film, it's a very well loved character, both the book and Gene Wilder's brilliant performance in the film. I knew that I would have to take it somewhere, far away from Gene Wilder and the area that he had stomped. Having that amazing material by Roald Dahl and taking that and trying to interpret what he might have liked to seen in terms of cinema. What kind of character would he have liked? There's such dark and light in that story in such a subversive kind of undertone and a twisted perverted kind of side to the character that I ran into the direction that seemed right to me.
Read the full Johnny Depp interview at comingsoon.net.
And check out the official site for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
For Depp fans, the actor was recently interviewed about the movie at comingsoon.net in an article entitled "Depp by Chocolate." Some excerpts:
CS: We have to ask about the everpresent Michael Jackson comparisons. Did that ever come up while you were making the movie?
Depp: It actually never crossed my mind, oddly enough. Michael Jackson was not an ingredient or inspiration for the character at all. A few people have mentioned it, and it kind of took me by surprised because I really didn't expect that. I guess on some level I can understand. There's a little bit of a look, but you can easily think of some other recluse like Howard Hughes as well. Roald Dahl wrote this book and wrote this character, and it was published in 1964. Michael Jackson was a wee lad then, so I don't think he was inspired by him either.
Which of the children do you think you were most like as a child?
Depp: I'd like to think that I was like Charlie, but I don't think I was, because my mom uses the term "hellion." I wasn't obnoxious or precocious, but I was curious. There were a lot of practical jokes and things like that. I got on her nerves basically. I pissed her off quite frequently.
What kind of risks did you feel that you were taking by playing this role?
Depp: To the fans of the book and the fans of the 1971 film, it's a very well loved character, both the book and Gene Wilder's brilliant performance in the film. I knew that I would have to take it somewhere, far away from Gene Wilder and the area that he had stomped. Having that amazing material by Roald Dahl and taking that and trying to interpret what he might have liked to seen in terms of cinema. What kind of character would he have liked? There's such dark and light in that story in such a subversive kind of undertone and a twisted perverted kind of side to the character that I ran into the direction that seemed right to me.
Read the full Johnny Depp interview at comingsoon.net.
And check out the official site for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Comments
Hi!Soy de Argentina y queria decir que MI JOhnny esta muy bueno :D y bueno nada....AGUANTE WILLY, JACK, etc.
Posted by: Celii | September 7, 2006 5:41 PM