----- Original Message -----
From: "Joshua Bell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: Books I am reading
> "dendriite" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >Tim Burton.........Gee Ronn.......you would think the mention of his name
> >would be enough to evoke incredulity! <G>
> >
> >Even more bizarre........guess who has shown an interest in playing Willy
> >Wonka in the new remake of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?
>
> I really really hope that happens. The Gene Wilder one annoys the crud out
> of me.
>
> The book is a dark morality tale (like much of Dahl's stuff); if you
behave
> nicely and do what people ask, you won't die a horrible death. In the
book,
> Charlie is tempted but never gives in, and thus is worthy to inherit the
> factory. In the movie, Charlie disobeys and almost dies and is saved only
by
> belching(!); he only gets the factory via a "damnit, I'm greedy!" speech.
>
> Ugh. Hideous. The bastards.
>
> I trust that Burton can pull off dark and sinister Victorian England
rather
> nicely.
>
> Joshua
>
> (A closet Vermicious Knid afficianado.)
>
Heres the pertinant info from Coming Attractions:
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Genre: Family/Fantasy.
Studio: Warner Brothers.
Production Company: Unknown.
Project Phase: Development Hell.
Who's In It: No one confirmed as yet.
Who's Making It: Gary Ross (Director); Scott Frank (Screenwriter); based on
the novel by Roald Dahl.
Premise: The brilliant hermit/confectionary genius Willy Wonka announces
that golden tickets will be placed at random in bars of his candy. Those
who find the tickets will get a tour of the heretofore top secret Wonka
Factory and get a chance to win free chocolate for life. Can the
impoverished child Charlie Bucket find a ticket and get a chance to change
his life forever?
Release Date: Unknown.
Afternoon, January 31, 2001... A torrent of scoops was unleashed today when
a number of daily tabloids ran a quote from shock rocker Marilyn Manson that
he was going to play chocolate creator Willy Wonka, and that Tim Burton
would be directing the remake!
As far as we can discern, the story appeared first in yesterday's England's
Sun newspaper, which has a notorious reputation for publishing extremely
suspect movie news. The story was then picked up in today's New York's Post
and was also carried by the Studio Briefing section on the Internet Movie
Database, the Kevin and Bean radio show in L.A., and today's Rosie O'Donnell
Show!
"I really see the movie as a metaphor. I see Willy Wonka as Satan because
hepresents people with the temptation of picking good and evil, and they all
pick evil," Manson is quoted as having said. "Willy Wonka is one of my
favorite movies and I think I can play that role like no one else." Of that
we firmly agree with Manson.
Still, is any of this true? We haven't heard of any active development on
the Willy Wonka remake for more than a year. Back in late 1999, we were
tipped off that Pleasantville director Gary Ross was attached to direct the
remake; however, we're doubting that's still the case fourteen months later
on. But as for the tabloids story that Tim Burton (who's finishing up
directing the Planet of the Apes remake) is now going to turn his focus onto
remaking Willy Wonka...that's come from out of the blue. Burton might be a
good choice, but his name's never been mentioned for the job before.
And then there's the fact that, if this story is incorrect, it wouldn't be
the first time the tabloids have been wrong. Remember the recent spat of
headlines that Kevin Spacey and Catherine Zeta-Jones were going to be in the
next James Bond movie (titled "Beyond the Ice"?) Those were debunked by the
Official James Bond website, but that didn't stop the story from making the
tabloid rounds. Now the fact that there's a quote from Manson is noteworthy,
but it could have also been taken out of context. Where and when did Manson
say this?
As one of our readers said to us today in their email, "I can just see it
now:
(to tune of Manson's "Beautiful People")
The Oompa Loompas, the Oompa Loompas....
the Ooompa Loompas, the Oompa Loompas..."
['frisEE', Manuel Soto, David Cervera, Michael A. Grandel, 'Hollywood Bob',
'A Daily Reader', Jason, Alex Zalben, 'Jdee', 'Monkey Lucifer', 'Nearlife',
David Dye, Mike, 'AndyNYC1', and various anonymous folk nearly drove off the
road, slammed their heads upon their desks, or swallowed their gum when they
heard the news.]
Evening, January 31, 2001... Well, that didn't last too long. Warner Bros.
released a statement late today that completely refutes the Marilyn
Manson/Star story that's turned entertainment media on its ear today. Coming
Soon was first to break the news online, even while the original story still
flew across late night TV news programs.
Here's the WB release:
Contrary to a false and misleading report published in the Jan. 31 edition
of the New York Post, singer Marilyn Manson has not been cast in a role in
the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Additionally, the director of the project is not Tim Burton, as falsely
stated in the Post. Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Dave, Big) is directing the
film, currently in development at the Studio, from a screenplay by Scott
Frank (Out of Sight), which he is adapting from the beloved Roald Dahl
novel.
Neither Gary Ross nor Warner Bros. Pictures have any intention whatsoever of
casting Marilyn Manson in the revered role of 'Willy Wonka' or any other
role in the film.
Warner Bros. Pictures has requested that the New York Post issue a
retraction of this erroneous story immediately.
[Issued by Warner Bros.; with Coming Soon! the first to break it online.]
So there you have it. Ross is still attached as director and Marilyn is
nowhere in sight on the studio's radar. We think we might have figured out
where the Star and Post originally got the Manson quote that set this whole
shebang off...
"Hey Kids,
"It's funny that you reported this Marilyn Manson story today, as I was
reading the February 2001 issue of Interview magazine at work yesterday. In
it, there was an interview with Manson himself. The quote that the UK paper
used is from this interview.
"Here's the question and MM's answer, word for word:
Anita Sarko: Let's talk about one of your great influences, the film Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971).
MM: It's a great movie. If they remake it and ruin it, I'm gonna be very
upset, unless I get to play Willy Wonka, because I could play that role like
nobody else could. I really see that movie as a metaphor. I see Willy Wonka
as Satan because he presents people with the temptation of picking good and
evil, and they all pick evil. It's such a powerful statement to put into a
children's film. The chocolate's a metaphor for sin. He's always tempting
them with that and they always pick the bad thing. That just shows you man's
nature. (Charlie and his grandfather) redeem themselves. Charlie wasn't
giving up the Gobstopper so that he would win the chocolate factory, he was
giving it up because he thought it was the right thing to do. He did a good
deed that didn't revolve around his own greed. He actually did an honest
deed, which is a rare thing. It had a beautiful message.
"So there you have it. I think the UK paper jumped the gun a bit (what else
is new?) But if this movie ever gets made I wouldn't mind seeing MM as
Willy."
[We were right there with 'Mr. Black' until the end.]
So there's the origin of the erroneous Manson as Wonka rumor...but where the
heck did the addition of Tim Burton as director come from?!?
Maybe it's best somethings remain a mystery forever.
***********************************************************************
xponent
rob
