Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film) Palin (as well as the other three Monty Python members) had all previously expressed interest in playing Wonka in the 1971 film adaptation. Johnny Depp was the only actor Burton considered for the role, although Dwayne Johnson was Burton's second choice in case Depp was unavailable. Depp signed on without reading the script under the intention of going with a completely different approach than what Gene Wilder did in the 1971 film adaptation. Depp said regardless of the original film, Gene Wilder's characterization of Willy Wonka stood out as a unique portrayal. Depp and Burton derived their Willy Wonka from
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (franchise) "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was released to critical praise and was a box office success, grossing approximately $475 million worldwide, but received mixed to negative reviews when compared with the original 1971 film. A direct-to-video animated crossover film adaptation starring Tom and Jerry, entitled "Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", was released in 2017. It stars JP Karliak as Willy Wonka and is dedicated to Gene Wilder, who died less than a year before the release. In October 2016 it was confirmed that Warner Bros are planning a prequel film depicting Willy Wonka's "early adventures" prior