29 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Facts: A Must Read For Kids

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' is a wonderfully-written fantasy classic children's novel by the British author Roald Dahl in 1964.

Following the success of the novel, it was adapted into a children's movie called 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory' in 1971 to capture the imagination of young minds with fascinating concepts like candy landscape and chocolate River. However, this adaptation starring Gene Wilder wasn't as big a hit as intended.

Then during the early 2000s, Tim Burton directed the remake to narrate the adventures of young Charlie Bucket in the chocolate factory run by the chocolate maker Willy Wonka.

Fortunately, the remake of the story produced by Tim Burton's signature style and Johnny Depp taking on the role of Willy Wonka became a huge box-office hit worldwide.

With the narrative made into a movie twice, let's uncover some interesting secrets that'll make you love the film more.

Cast And Character

Here's a sneak peek at the cast lineup and the character they take on in this delectable movie.

Before Tim Burton came on board as a director, many big names were involved in the development of this project.

Warner Bros. also considered many popular actors to play the role of Willy Wonka.

Willy Wonka is one of the primary characters in the movie who happens to be the eccentric owner of the magical chocolate factory.

Though numerous actors were considered for this role, Tim Burton decided to cast Johnny Depp for this role.

Johnny Depp was so eager to play the role that he agreed to do the film without even fully going through the script first. 

Five children were awarded a golden ticket to enter the chocolate factory.

Charlie Bucket is the main character who enters a competition conducted by Willy Wonka.

Freddie Highmore was suggested for this role by Johnny Depp.

Augustus Gloop is a greedy boy who wasn't careful while drinking from the chocolate river. He eventually fell into the river and turned into a strawberry-coated fudge.

The role of Augustus Gloop was well played by the German actor Philip Wiegratz, who managed to grab the attention of Tim Burton during the casting process. 

Julia Winter was offered the role of Veruca Salt, a girl who throws tantrums to get her own way.

Veruca Salt happened to venture into the nut room and ended up accidentally becoming classified as a bad nut that would be sent to the furnace later. 

Violet Beauregarde was the girl who was always seen chewing gum and was required to pop and blow as many bubbles as possible.

AnnaSophia Robb, who played Beauregarde, said the continuous chewing of gum resulted in jaw cramps.

Mike Teavee, played by Jordan Fry, was a young boy who always spent time watching television and eventually ended up being shrunk by the television chocolate.

The other main characters worth mentioning are the Oompa-Loompas. Deep Roy auditioned for the role of Oompa-Loompas and ended up playing many characters.

He played each of the 165 Oompa Loompas, and it took him hours to film a single scene as he had to keep shifting positions. He was awarded a solid paycheck of $1 million for his effort and hard work.

Awards And Nominations

Let's find out some awards and nominations that were awarded for this film:

With the book becoming a huge success, it was adapted into a film in 1971 featuring Gene Wilder.

With a production cost of $3 million, the original film grossed not more than $4 million, making it a box-office bomb.

However, the 2005 remake version of this book under the direction of Tim Burton ended up being a worldwide megahit.

The National Film Registry in the United States chose the film for preservation in 2014.

The film received the following awards:

In 2005, the film received the Irish Film and Television Audience Award for International Film and BAFTA Kids' Vote.

People's Choice Award for Favorite Family Movie in 2006

Freddie Highmore received the BFCA Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Actor in 2006. 

Johnny Depp received Empire Award for Best Actor and Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor for Comedy in 2006

The 2005 film was nominated for the BAFTA film awards for best production design, best costume design, best makeup and hair, and best special visual effects.

Little Known Facts About The Movie

When the 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' children's novel was initially published in the United States in 1964, it sold more than 10,000 copies within its first week, making it an immediate hit.

The story of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' was inspired by Roald Dahl's childhood experience of having to taste new products made by chocolate companies during his school days. 

Gregory Peck was offered to play the role of Grandpa Joe, Charlie's grandfather.

Peck was eager to play the role but sadly died before he could get a chance.

While many others were considered for the role, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Kirk Douglas, and Paul Newman were the few that stood out. 

David Kelly happened to be the lucky one to play Grandpa Joe.

Willy Wonka came from the name Skilly Wonka, a boomerang that Roald Dahl and his brother invented.

Most of the chocolate bar called 'Wonka Bar' props scenes in the film are real.

The lollipops growing on the trees were made out of real candy. 

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' is even today truly one of the most popular of films, adored by kids and individuals of all generations. It's hard not to fantasize about visiting a factory that's filled with chocolate and indulging in its sweetness.

This amazing movie still is a popular one to stream and can be found streaming on many popular OTT platforms across the world.

FAQs

Are the kids killed in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

As per the Willy Wonka theory, all the four bad kids who entered the chocolate factory ended up disappearing and met their demise. Only Charlie Bucket survived and won a lifetime supply of chocolates. 

What is 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' about?

Five lucky children won the golden ticket and were allowed to enter the chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka. Charlie, along with his friends, won the lottery to visit the magical factory and see where all the wonderful candies and chocolate were made.

The tour group consisted of the spoiled Veruca Salt, the greedy Augustus Gloop, the smart Mike Teavee, the ever chewing Violet Beauregarde, and the poor Charlie Bucket.

Once the children start breaking the rules set by Wonka, they end up getting punished, all but Charlie. Charlie follows the rules, remains humble yet displays great qualities, and eventually is in for a pleasant surprise.

Who was the worst kid in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

Based on personality, Veruca Salt is a spoiled brat who happens to be excessively spoiled by her parents. If things didn't work out the way that she wanted, she would end up throwing a tantrum and causing a whole lot of trouble.

She even got the golden ticket only when her father's peanut factory was forcefully ordered to start selling the same chocolate bars just so they could find her a golden ticket.

Where does Willy Wonka take place?

The main shooting location for Willy Wonka was in Munich, Germany. Mel Stuart liked this location as it was much cheaper than the filming in the US due to the unfamiliar and ambiguous vibe it gave off.

However, the producers had to go to the outskirts of Germany to recruit actors to play the role of Oompa Loompas. This is why most of the individuals who played the role of Oompa Loompas do not speak English fluently.

Where was 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' filmed?

For the second adaptation, Warner Bros. reached an agreement and was provided with the Roald Dahl Estate to continue production. With Dahl Estate gaining complete creative control, filming started in 2004 at the Pinewood Studios in the UK.

How old is 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'?

'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' is an American fantasy movie that was released in 1971 with Gene wilder playing the role of Willie Wonka. This fifty-year-old film is based on the novel 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' written by Roald Dahl in 1964. 

How old is Willy Wonka in 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory'?

In the 2005 movie adaption of Charlie and the chocolate factory, the main character Willy Wonka is the owner of the magical chocolate factory. Johnny Depp perfectly portrayed the role, and in the movie, Willy Wonka is around 56 years of age.  

How was Charlie and the chocolate factory made?

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' mostly consist of fake candies, where even a few of the Wonka bars were made out of wood. But, the chocolate river was made using 150,000 gal (681,913 L) of real chocolate from cocoa beans, cream, and water.

Since real chocolate and cream were used, it started giving off a foul smell after some time. Lots of real candies and chocolate bars were used as props on the set.

How many kids are in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' has five children visiting Wonka's factory. This includes Charlie Bucket, Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teevee, and Veruca Salt.

Who played Charlie in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

In the 2005 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' movie, the role of Charlie Bucket was played by the English actor Freddy Highmore. Johnny Depp suggested the name of Highmore to Tim Burton, as Depp was impressed by his performance as a costar in 'Finding Neverland'.

How old is Charlie from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

In 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', Charlie bucket was an 11-year-old boy who hailed from a poor family. Charlie lived with his parents and grandparents outside the large chocolate factory in a small town.