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Q&A: Producer Dick Zanuck Gets Passionate About 'Chocolate'

Julie Wohlberg | Of Merge

Dick Zanuck is a filmmaking legend. With over 40 years of filmmaking experience on pictures that include Driving Miss Daisy, The Sound of Music, The Planet of the Apes, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Exorcist and Blazing Saddles, filmmakers working on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were thrilled to bring his expertise to the table. Zanuck, however, seems as excited about his present film as he does about his decades of fame.

Why did you think it was so important to remain true to the book in this remake?
Dick Zanuck: We never considered this a remake. This was a stand alone version seen through Tim Burton's eyes, of Roald Dahl's book. The first version, which is revered, by those who saw it when they were five, was not a hit at all, theatrically. It became a hit later, when it became one of the biggest sellers for Warner Bros. Cassettes. But it was called Willy Wonka, so it didn't even have the same name. It was based, although they took great liberties, with the original Roald Dahl material. Tim's idea was to do a version, and he asked John to write directly from the book. I don't know that Tim has even re-seen the original picture, since he was a kid. I never went back, because what we were doing was not a remake of that picture. It was a stand-alone of the Roald Dahl book, using what he had written and his title.

Is there any truth to the similarity between Wonka and Michael Jackson?

Zanuck: I think that's really stretching it. I haven't seen Michael Jackson wearing a top hat recently. But here's a character who's been cloistered in this factory for 20 years. When he's seen in the flashbacks, in the jungle and so forth, he's not as pasty. He got that look he hasn't been outside in 20 years. The hair was more of a Prince Valient look. Not once was there any discussion about, "Let's pattern this character after Michael Jackson." Because Willy Wonka is sort of terrified of children. As you can see right off the bat, he doesn't want to touch them, or for them to touch him. As opposed to Michael Jacksonwho is, sort of open arms to children.

Are you concerned about the perception?
Zanuck: No, because it's an ill-founded perception, that's just not based in reality. If anyone thinks it through, what kind of a person Willy Wonka is compared with the perception of what kind of person Michael Jackson is, they're polar opposites. This is not like he copied someone [for the character] like he did in Pirates. Not at all.