Feature for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

For millions of children, Gene Wilder is Willy Wonka.

As soon as 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' was released in 1971 the crazily eccentric sweet factory owner became a legendary character for children and adults alike - and the thought of anyone filling his sizeable boots was unthinkable.

For many, Wilder and Wonka were inseparable, and the wacky tale of a group of spoilt youngsters touring the world's best-known sweet factory with its peculiar owner was firmly positioned as a classic.

So when it was announced that 'Edward Scissorhands' creator Tim Burton was going to redo the story - first created by author Roald Dahl in 1964 in the book, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Family' - it sparked controversy everywhere.

Fans of the quirky original feared the colourful characters, the whimsical factory, and the inimitable Willy Wonka could never be re-captured, and an angry Wilder himself suggested film bosses were just trying to squeeze more dollars from the 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' machine.

He recently confessed he didn't know why they felt they needed to remake the movie, fuming: "It's just some people sitting around thinking, 'Can we make some money?' Why else would you remake 'Willy Wonka'? I don't see the point of going back and doing it all over again."

The idea of a remake had been bandied around for several years but never really got off the ground. It wasn't until Burton was on board that a real vision started to take shape.

Early on the director, famed for his magical, fantastical films and for bringing a dark slant to any movie, claimed the original film was "too sappy".

But Roald Dahl was nothing if not dark, and some believed the combination of Dahl's darkly brilliant imagination and Burton's shadowy vision could produce the Willy Wonka closest to the writer's original concept.

Johnny Depp, who plays the nutty confectionary maker in the latest movie, described the pair as "a match made in heaven".

When he set out to reinterpret the book, Burton insisted he didn't want to trample on the original.

He revealed: "I don't want to crush people's childhood dreams but the original film is sappy.

"I responded to 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' because it respected the fact that children can be adults. It was one of the first times you had children's literature that was a bit more sophisticated and dealt with darker issues and feelings. Very sinister things are a part of childhood." Unsurprisingly, the new film had a far larger budget than the first movie version. Rumoured to be somewhere between £50m and £80m, it seems the additional funds allowed Burton to explore every avenue when it came to creating the spectacular sets.

For example, in 1971, film bosses were forced to replace the factory's nut-sorting squirrels with a machine, but Burton blew millions of pounds training real rodents to crack nuts.

He was said to been determined to recreate the famous 'nut scene' from the book, so spent six months teaching around 200 squirrels to crack hazelnuts, and load them on a conveyor belt. A movie insider revealed: "Tim was determined to create the magic of the book and its bizarre characters. He realised the squirrel scene would be difficult to do but knew it would be worth it because it is so wonderfully magical."

The director revealed he felt complete freedom to devise the sets. He said: "We weren't constrained by anything, and it had quite an experimental feel as we were making it to me, and that was fun. I enjoyed not quite knowing exactly what kind of plants we were going to make or if we were going to find the right consistency for the chocolate, so it didn't look like brown water.

"The beauty of film is that it's very collaborative, so with the designers, the costume designers, the actors, it all kind of comes together. It's a big dysfunctional family."

So far, many fans impressed with Burton's twisted vision are claiming it is truer to Dahl's book.

Even one of the first film's stars hinted it tops the original.

Julia Dawn Cole, who played obnoxious Veruca Salt in the first movie, admits she was very impressed.

She felt the late Roald Dahl, who was notoriously unconvinced by the first film adaptation, would have loved Burton's interpretation.

She confessed: "I think it's as good as the original and my son says it is better.

"I'm convinced he would have loved this version. It picks up on all of the darker elements of his story, which kids love. I wouldn't say it is better than the original as that will always be special to me."

When it came to actors, filmmakers knew they would struggle to cast the beloved sweet inventor, because anyone stepping into the enduringly popular Wilder's boots would be faced with the daunting task of surpassing him. Comic stars like Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler were considered for the high-profile role, but 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star Johnny Depp was eventually cast.

Even the disgruntled Wilder conceded the actor was the perfect choice, admitting: "If I were going to cast the movie, I would cast Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka because I think he is wonderful. Mysterious - always - and magical."

So far the Hollywood heartthrob has thrilled the critics with his offbeat performance.

Many alleged the 41-year-old actor - who often draws inspiration from famous figures for his acting parts - based his portrayal on eccentric singer Michael Jackson. But he denied the claims, saying he couldn't understand the connection.

He revealed: "I guess you can on one level with make-up and the children and sort of fantasy land kind of thing, but it seems weird to me."

He insisted his portrayal was closer to reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Depp also hit back at Wilder's claims the new film was little more than a cash-making enterprise.

He said: "Somebody sent me an article where Gene Wilder said, 'Why would they remake 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'?' We didn't remake 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', we remade [the book] 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. It's based on the same book they based theirs on." The handsome star also said he was careful to play Wonka in a new way. He explained: "I was really conscious about making sure I went to a different area than Gene Wilder."

He added: "Making a statement that they only made this film because of the money is a really odd statement to make from a guy who has been in the business as long as he has. all movies were made because somebody somewhere wanted a return on their dollar. Ultimately, it's a business."

The film is the actor's latest role in a series of children's films. He recently starred in 'Finding Neverland' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and says he wants to do even more family films so his two young children, with partner Vanessa Paradis, can enjoy them.

He said: "'Finding Neverland' was great because it was much more accessible to my kids than, say, 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'. I want my children to see daddy's work."

The former hellraiser, who was once renowned for drinking heavily, trashing hotel rooms and scrapping with paparazzi, claims becoming a father put a stop to his wild ways.

He admitted: "All of I sudden I went, 'F*** it''. I realised there was nothing anyone could do to me anymore."

The actor also recently hinted he might be looking for even more domestic bliss.

The superstar suggested he is keen to marry long-term love Vanessa - but it waiting for her to make the move.

He said: "For all intents and purposes we are married. We have two kids together and she is the woman in my life.

"But if she ever said: 'Hey, let's get hitched,' I would do it in a second."