One of the aspects that really sold me on the first Wonka trailer has to be the fact that Hugh Grant being cast as an Oompa Loompa is an inspired exercise in comedy. That being said, it’s an idea so out of the box for the upcoming book adaptation that one has to wonder how co-writer/director Paul King even got the idea to do it. Apparently we can all thank author Roald Dahl himself, as when the Paddington director revisited the source material for Wonka, a very specific light bulb went off.
During his interview with Empire, King credited returning to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a huge part of why he re-teamed with his Paddington 2 villain. The prose of that 1964 book helped inspire this decision, courtesy of the following experience:
Going back to the book, and reading all those poems, and hearing [the Oompa Loompas’] voice as a very sort of cynical, sarcastic, cruel, funny, but wicked voice, I went, 'Oh... That's sort of a bit like Hugh!’ It was a real light bulb moment – you go, ‘Hugh Grant's an Oompa-Loompa! Yes please! Merry Christmas, with a bow on it.’
As a fan of the original book, as well as the 1971 cinematic adaptation Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I can gladly confirm Paul King had the right idea with his Wonka casting coup. That entire string of adjectives not only describes Roald Dahl’s sense of humor to a tee, it’s also the perfect scenario for a grade-A Hugh Grant role.
It’s a pure match made in heaven, and all that's missing is a Super Yaki t-shirt commemorating it for the internet. Though this Wonka cast choice is a fresh take on a beloved character type, the creative mind who worked on The Mighty Boosh, as well as the first two Paddington movies, didn’t want to totally change what worked.
In fact, King’s fandom of the Gene Wilder classic that came before this inventive prequel was exactly what kept the Oompa Loompa design the same as it was back in director Mel Stuart’s cinematic predecessor. Here’s how Paul King explained retaining the Oompa Loompa’s original look for a modern audience:
It just felt like that's what an Oompa Loompa was, in my head. I suppose because the '71 movie is so beloved by me, as well as other people, I didn't really want to reinvent the wheel on that,” he says. “I felt like doing something that sat with that iconography. I love ‘Pure Imagination’, I love the Oompa Loompa songs, I loved how the Oompa Loompas looked. And that felt like the iconic look of Oompa Loompas.
By sticking his nose back into the world of Roald Dahl’s original text, Paul King came away with a clear vision on how he wanted to modernize Oompa Loompas, while also tipping his own hat to the past. It’s a process that worked with his previous movies involving that young bear from Peru, and it sounds like those sensibilities have struck gold again. All that’s left is for the people of world to see the results for themselves and decide how they feel about the next era of pure imagination at the movies.
What we know about Wonka is that it’s not too far from theatrical release, as the picture is slated for a December 15th drop. While there are others who feel that the Willy Wonka prequel may be missing the point of the character, I’m firmly in the camp that’s convinced this will be a worthwhile potential depiction of Willy Wonka’s journey from wide-eyed chocolatier to a sad man who closed his doors, and his heart, to the world.
I’m not saying I want to be crushed by this tale, but that’s how it goes. At the very least, we’ll have a Hugh Grant-style Oompa Loompa to help set it all up in proper fashion. But if you want to set yourself up properly for the rest of your moviegoing year, feel free to take a look at the 2023 movie release schedule, and fill in your calendar accordingly.
