Underplayed Gems

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory poster
Directed by
Tim Burton
Genre
fantasy film, musical film, family film, black comedy film
Country
Australia, United Kingdom, United States
Runtime
1h 55m
Rated
PG
Rating
7.0 of 10 from 16,206 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A poor boy named Charlie Bucket finds a golden ticket to tour a mysterious chocolate factory owned by the eccentric Willy Wonka. He and four other children go through the factory and face strange and dangerous tests of character.

whimsicaloffbeatdarkly comicmusicalfantasticalquirkycolorfulcautionary

What happens

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 musical fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and written by John August, based on the 1964 children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, alongside David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, Deep Roy, and Christopher Lee. The storyline follows Charlie as he wins a contest along with four other children and is led by Wonka on a tour of his chocolate factory. Development for a second adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory began in 1991, which resulted in Warner Bros. Pictures providing the Dahl estate with total artistic control. Prior to Burton's involvement, multiple directors and actors were either in discussion with or considered by the studio to play Wonka. Burton immediately brought regular collaborators Depp and Danny Elfman aboard. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory represents the first musical film directed by Burton and the first time since The Nightmare Before Christmas that Elfman contributed to a film score using written songs and his vocals. Filming took place from June to December 2004 at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom. Inspired by the book's emphasis on texture, Burton primarily used built sets and practical effects rather than computer-generated environments. Wonka's Chocolate Room was constructed on the 007 Stage at Pinewood, complete with a faux chocolate waterfall and river. Squirrels were trained from birth for Veruca Salt's elimination from the tour. Actor Deep Roy performed each Oompa-Loompa individually rather than one performance duplicated digitally. Burton shot the film simultaneously alongside the stop-motion animated film Corpse Bride, which he also directed. Willy Wonka-themed chocolate bars were sold, and a Golden Ticket contest was launched as part of the film's marketing campaign. Early plans to promote the film with a Broadway theatre musical were not realized. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory premiered on July 10, 2005, and was released in the United States on July 15 to positive critical reviews, which commended it for its visual appeal and dark tone. It was a box office success, grossing US$475 million and becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film worldwide in 2005. The film received a nomination for Best Costume Design at the 78th Academy Awards, while Depp was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy. It remains Tim Burton's second-highest-grossing film to date. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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