PAUL KING (Director / Screen and Story Writer)
On telling the story of a young Willy Wonka…
PAUL KING: “I wanted to bring to the world a Wonka back when he was young and wide-eyed and full of hope and optimism, before he became this sort of Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka that we all know and love. Somebody that didn’t have a penny to his name, but had a dream of a brighter tomorrow. What I wanted to show is the flowering of a genius in the most extraordinary way you can possibly imagine—a man who discovers who he is, but also finds a family.
“So, when we first meet Willy Wonka in the movie, he hasn’t really become the character that so many of us grew up with. He’s really a young man arriving in this strange city, this magical, mystical place. He has come with a very clear vision of what he wants the future to be and he believes it to be possible… and so he won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I feel you don’t become one of these great inventors without a pretty strong sense of determination and a belief in the impossible. I don’t think he’d hear somebody say, ‘Well, that’s impossible’ and go, ‘Oh well, that’s it. I roll over and give up.’ He’s Willy Wonka, and he can make Fizzy Lifting Drink! He can make the Everlasting Gobstopper!”
On Timothée Chalamet as Wonka…
PAUL KING: “When I think of Timothée in this role, I just think about how simple it was casting him as Wonka. I think he has the most extraordinary quality. He feels slightly like he’s stepped in from another dimension; it feels like he captures the essence of that sort of otherworldly magical character completely perfectly—this combination of strange and slightly unknowable energy, and sincerity and humor and eccentricity. He ultimately became a true creative partner in the movie.”
On Calah Lane as Noodle…
PAUL KING: “We did a huge, global casting call for the role of Noodle. Noodle is a wise old head on a young person’s shoulders. Willy Wonka is almost childlike in his enthusiasm and that’s very infectious. I liked the idea of this double act that could really sustain the movie—a grown-up who is childlike and a kid who’s more of a grown-up. I remember the moment I first saw Calah audition. I was 5,000 miles away and I was just sent a link on a computer. I showed it to Simon [Farnaby], my co-writer, and we just both went, ‘Well, she’s incredible!’ She made us laugh. She seemed vulnerable but strong, and she just got it in a heartbeat. And she goes toe-to-toe with the other actors she is working alongside: Olivia Colman, Timothée Chalamet, Hugh Grant.”
On the cast of “Wonka”…
PAUL KING: “I felt so blessed to have been able to assemble this cast. There were so many extraordinary people who were prepared to come and work with me. It felt like every time I asked whether somebody would be willing to do it and they said ‘yes,’ I felt like the kid in the candy store. We cast people who we thought were great actors and were really funny and luckily, we also landed on people who also happened to be brilliant singers.”
On the return of the Oompa Loompa…
PAUL KING: “It wouldn’t be a Willy Wonka movie without an Oompa Loompa, but I was interested in the idea of the Oompa Loompa following Willy, rather than Willy tracking down the Oompa Loompas. We know they are huge fans of chocolate. Willy, of course, makes the best chocolate in the world, and so this Oompa Loompa is tracking Willy around the world for his chocolate and stealing it from him whenever he wants.
In the book, the Oompa Loompas have these many-pages-long poems or songs, and they’re very funny and sarcastic. They have this gleeful delight, and they are biting and sardonic. Hugh Grant’s voice kept coming into my head. And the idea of him with orange skin and green hair… Once I had that in my head, it was hard to shake it. And then I had to share that image with the world.”
On producer David Heyman…
PAUL KING: “David’s obviously an extraordinary producer who’s made so many great movies, and I feel very privileged to work with him again—we made the ‘Paddington’ movies together. I think what’s great about him is that he has a relentless desire for things to be better. There’s always this sort of next level that you can push yourself to. For somebody who’s had so much success, his desire to make the best possible movies every time around, to never rest, to never take ‘good enough’ as acceptable—that is extraordinary, and I’d like to think I share some of those characteristics and that we drive each other forward.”
On writing partner Simon Farnaby…
PAUL KING: “Simon is somebody I’ve collaborated with for a number of years now—he worked on ‘Paddington,’ we wrote ‘Paddington 2’ together and we’ve written other things as well. I’ve also worked with him as an actor. I think the greatest thing about Simon is that he’s incredibly funny, and we just have a really good time writing together. He’s also this brilliant performer, so by the time we come to making the movie, I have Simon’s voice saying all of the lines in my head. And it’s always great when other actors come in and I think, ‘Oh, you’re Simon, but even better!’ I think we share the same ambitions in making things as funny as they can be, but also having an emotional heart to them as well.”
On the songs…
PAUL KING: “When Simon and I were writing the first draft of the script, we tried to figure out where we felt songs would be. So, there were moments where we thought, ‘This will probably be a song,’ and slightly foolishly, we tried to write lyrics—which turns out to be quite hard (LAUGHS), but we thought we did an okay job. Sometimes, we would base them on a song, many times, one of Neil’s, or just sort of got a rhythm in our head. We hoped Neil would take the lyrics and embellish them, improve upon them. But in fact, what he did was throw them away and start again (LAUGHS)! He came back with his own stuff, which was a million times better, and it made the writing process so much better, because we could see our script and take out our B- lyrics and put in his A+ work. Suddenly, you could feel it leaping off the page. It’s an ongoing process, with figuring out where the songs go, how long they should be, who should sing and at what points. And you really don’t know until the films starts to come together. It’s a constant journey.”
On Neil Hannon…
PAUL KING: “‘Wonka’ isn’t a musical in the same sense that ‘Les Misérables’ is a musical, where every moment is sung. It always felt like a movie which happened to have some great songs in it. Neil Hannon is an extraordinary songwriter—I’ve loved The Divine Comedy, his band, since I knew they existed and his songs are funny and tender and emotional, and it felt like he could write songs that lived with the spirit of Roald Dahl.”
On being entrusted with one of literature’s most beloved characters…
PAUL KING: “With Willy Wonka, Roald Dahl created one of his most iconic characters. I grew up loving Charlie and the Chocolate Factory–I had an old paperback and I must have read it a dozen times, because I remember the pages all came out of the book. I read all his children’s books and just loved them to pieces, but Willy Wonka was always the one that I kept coming back to. So now, to be able to imagine this origin for him–and to be granted the gift of creating this story and this world with the unwavering support of the Dahl Group–is, as Willy might proudly say, ‘A dream come true.’”
On what he wants to give audiences…
PAUL KING: “I think my hopes for ‘Wonka’ are the same that I hope somebody would have when reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the first time, how I felt reading it for the first time… I hope that you’ll laugh, that you’ll have a good time, that you’ll see something extraordinary and unique, but that you’ll hopefully come out of the movie feeling just a little bit more hopeful for the world.”
DAVID HEYMAN (Producer)
On taking on the project…
DAVID HEYMAN: “When I was approached about possibly getting involved in some form of adaptation of the Willy Wonka story, I leapt at the opportunity. Wonka is a glorious character, Dahl’s most iconic one. He’s mischievous, with a twinkle in his eye and possesses an incredible imagination. He’s passionate, an artist who very much lives in his own world. He’s a bit eccentric, not really understood by those around him. But he’s an optimist who sees the possibilities in life and will not be deterred. He’s a wonderful character to have at the center of your film.”
On Timothée in the role…
DAVID HEYMAN: “Timothée Chalamet, who is simply brilliant, brings so much heart and humor, and a soulfulness and attention to detail. There was not a day that he came to work where he didn’t bring everything to the table. He was always pushing to make it better, and he really captured the spirit of the character, bringing him vividly and magically to life.”
On Paul King…
DAVID HEYMAN: “This is the third film I’ve made with Paul King, and I think he is a very special, unique talent. One of the best directors who I’ve worked with, and it’s a privilege to work with him. He has a boundless imagination, a generous spirit and sense of humor, a wonderful eye and an incredible attention to detail. He is relentless in his pursuit of excellence. He is a magician and has a bit of Wonka about him!”
On the behind-the-camera craftsmen…
DAVID HEYMAN: “We were incredibly fortunate to partner with amazingly talented artists working behind the camera as well. Our production designer, Nathan Crowley, created this vibrant and vivid world, from chocolate shops to a wash house to an entire town square. The sets are monumental, lavish and gorgeous. And costume designer Lindy Hemming captured the characters so perfectly with her costumes, slightly heightened but always true. Her designs are colorful and full of wit. They are just beautiful.”
ALEXANDRA DERBYSHIRE (Producer)
On Paul King…
ALEXANDRA DERBYSHIRE: “It has been a great pleasure working alongside Paul on ‘Wonka.’ This is the third movie that we have made together (after ‘Paddington’ and ‘Paddington 2’) in what now amounts to around eight years of collaboration. Paul’s an incredible artist and innovator, a perfectionist, and he cares so much about the material and the team he surrounds himself with him on the filmmaking journey. He has such a specific vision that manages somehow to manipulate the world into what he’s seeing in his head, and it’s so precise on every level, every layer. And he’s involved in all of it—whether it’s the performances, the music, the production design, costume, choreography, VFX —the whole thing. He tackles each day with boundless energy and attention to detail that inspires everyone to bring their A game to the table. We have a lot of fun along the way and Paul’s enthusiasm and passion for the project infuses the whole team; he’s highly respected by both cast and crew. He’s a true auteur, and that’s what every producer wants from a director, for them to have a clear vision. And then obviously, it’s our job to help him try to bring that to life.”
On Timothée Chalamet…
ALEXANDRA DERBYSHIRE: “Timothée’s an extraordinary talent. From the very moment he arrived for rehearsals, he embodied Wonka in the most incredible way, and he grew with the character throughout the shoot. He can dance and he can sing—and is extremely hardworking and he’s a top person, as well. It was an absolute pleasure having him in London with us making the film; he’s so professional and dedicated to giving the best performance. He and Paul had an incredible relationship on set and it was inspiring to see them working together, digging deep into the character and trying things out. Timmy would always watch every take back and he and Paul would make notes together. If he wanted to do another, it was always to answer a precise note, to make it better—he was absolutely invested. I think the way that he can show emotion in a subtle way and has an awareness of how that will read onscreen is astonishing. His performance is so sophisticated. I think what surprised me is how he could go through 10 takes with these slight variations and they really make a difference —that nuance of performance is something to watch.”
On the experience…
ALEXANDRA DERBYSHIRE: “Working with Paul King, David Heyman, a world class cast and extraordinary talent behind-the-camera has been an absolute delight. ‘Wonka’ has a big beating heart and encourages everyone to follow their dreams, to overcome adversity. It’s infused with humor and a sense of optimism. We smiled a lot while we were making the film and hopefully ‘Wonka’ will bring some much-needed joy to audiences this holiday season.”
LUKE KELLY (Producer)
On expanding the world of Wonka…
LUKE KELLY: “Paul King has managed to not just extend the world of Wonka, but explore, expand and deepen it, all whilst imbuing it with so much invention and humour, and in doing so, he has amazingly channeled Roald’s voice and universe.”
NATHAN CROWLEY (Production Designer)
On worldbuilding…
NATHAN CROWLEY: “Designing for ‘Wonka’—this wonderful origin story with music—allowed me to go into pure fantasy, and to think differently than I usually do when designing other types of films. I could be more creative and experimental. As a designer, I’m trying to make the world seamlessly exist for the audience without being distracting. With fantasy, you get to stretch that idea considerably and hopefully create a world that is both whimsical and believable. Willy Wonka is a flamboyant and eccentric character, and his presence is felt throughout the film. The film’s setting is a fictional city that is flavored with many familiar elements of different European cities, but Willy Wonka’s influence changes that city into a magical place where anything is possible. The design should help to create a truly unique and unforgettable visual journey for the audience.
“Paul had described a lot of things and he wanted to test a bunch of ideas in his head—so we did. We spent pre-production testing ideas out and scouting. At one point, we contemplated filming in Europe, actually going to a real town square. But if we did that, where is that square? And it would have to be decided that this was going to be a location film. It would have made things more challenging, with big dance numbers and having to control areas for long periods of time. I think it worked out well that we got to build a big backlot, because we got to make it ours.
“One of my favorite shots wound up being going from the galleria and pushing through that door to find the back lot. It’s all actually been an absolute joy to make this fantasy world.”
LINDY HEMMING (Costume Designer)
On ‘seeing’ the characters…
LINDY HEMMING: “Paul King delights in story, and in people’s eccentricities, oddities and realities—he encourages you to think that way, which is the way I like to think. When I read his script, I could see the characters, and as a costume designer, that’s really the most important thing. What I set out to do is create visible, instant connections to the characters. Costumes are not meant to look like costumes, but pieces of wardrobe that come from somewhere… that have a reason for being worn.”
On collaborating with King…
LINDY HEMMING: “When Paul contacted me about this, I was ecstatic. I’ve done both ‘Paddington’ films with him. I feel we have a fantastic instinctive rapport. Also, because you can really talk to him. If you’re a costume designer, really the most important thing is that you’re in tune with the director. And then, when you read the script, you can see the characters. You might have an argument about what they are, or you might misunderstand what they are. You might have your take. But the thing is, that’s a conversation—something of yours and something of theirs, and then maybe something else. You know, it’ll all go in, and it’ll be much more interesting.”
On Wonka’s costume…
LINDY HEMMING: “The fundamental thing about Willy Wonka and his whole costume is that by the time you meet him at the beginning of the film, he’s been wandering the world in these clothes—sometimes to hot countries, where he wouldn’t be wearing his velvet coat, and then other times to colder places, where he would add more. We didn’t use the burgundy velvet coat to start with, because the ship that he’s been on for all this time is landing. You see him on the ship with the trousers and shirt, the underneath parts. Then, the putting on of the layers becomes part of him leaving the ship and going ashore. And so, the first thing that you see that would be really Gene Wilder’s Wonka world is when he goes into town, he puts on the burgundy velvet coat.”
On color as key…
LINDY HEMMING: “Every piece of the chocolatiers’ tailored wools for their suits had to be dyed to a specific color, because Paul wanted them to be one green, one blue and one yellow. That was the color of their clothes and that coordinates with their chocolate shop color, with the color of the chocolate wrappers, with everything they have. So, once that started, I think there was a moment when we knew the key, and it was going to be colorful—that it was going to be a more heightened reality and that the characters would be broad.”
On Mrs Scrubitt…
LINDY HEMMING: “Everything for Olivia [Colman] as Mrs Scrubitt was made. Her aprons were printed and made. Her cardigans and knitwear were all knitted; all of the dresses, printed and constructed. And once we’d started that, it becomes like you have to do that for all of her wardrobe. So, even things like her beautiful old overalls that she wears were dyed in a certain way. Then, they’ve had a treatment where the dye’s pushed out, and then other things actually printed on them. It might look like they’re just a load of old clothes, but actually, we know that they’ve all got a story to them.”
JOBY TALBOT (Composer)
On coming aboard…
JOBY TALBOT:“I hadn’t met Paul King before, but was a big fan of his previous work, and having heard that my old band mate and long-ago/long-time collaborator, Neil Hannon, had written the songs, I was naturally very intrigued to learn more about the project when I got the call to go into the cutting room for an initial chat. On seeing the movie, I was instantly struck by the originality and completeness of the worldbuilding and realized that my two main points of focus would be supporting and enhancing the worldbuilding and narrative, and embedding and setting up the songs. Paul’s positive reactions to my initial ideas encouraged me to come onboard.”
On composing the score and arranging the songs…
JOBY TALBOT: “I felt from the offset that it was imperative that the songs and the score should live in the same world, and that if I was to compose the score I should also arrange the songs, making sure that all the music was of a piece and that the songs should be able to emerge effortlessly from the surrounding music. Paul King strongly believed that the song themes should be, as far as possible, the main musical themes of the entire movie and I agreed wholeheartedly. We really wanted to be able to set the songs up so that when a character starts to sing, it seems entirely natural and logical within the heightened reality of the movie. The songs mustn’t disrupt the flow of the narrative and they mustn’t feel that they belong to a different story—to that end, I embedded as much of Neil’s song material as I could in the score, taking his melodies and turning them into character motifs that could be used to enhance the musical narrative.”
On the soundworld of “Wonka”…
JOBY TALBOT: “Paul was keen from the outset to create a distinctive musical soundworld for ‘Wonka.’ He didn’t want the music to sound like it could belong to any other story. There is a strong focus on singing throughout, not just in the songs. Choir is an important element, as are bells, big band, percussion and folk instruments like dulcimer, cimbalom, mandolin and accordion. The Chocolate Cartel have a suave and sophisticated jazz-tinged language characterized by saxes and big band brass; Scrubitt and Bleacher’s down-at-heal wash house world features cimbalom, pots and pans, as well as mechanical bangs and crashes; Willy’s magical, chaotic and threadbare joie de vivre has oom-pah brass, banjo and folk fiddle; while Noodle’s dreams for a better life are represented by piano, strings, celesta and bell-like percussion.”
On scoring for a heightened reality…
JOBY TALBOT: “The film is set in a slightly unspecified time and place, which gave me as the composer a wonderful degree of license with how to reflect the world in the music. Visually, it’s a feast, so we didn’t hold back. Anything and everything we could think of to bring this world to life, we put in, confident that the strong visual and narrative language of the movie would sustain that approach.”
On pride of job…
JOBY TALBOT: “I’m hugely proud of the finished film and the work my team and I did on it. The hardest part—as with any movie with songs—was to create a musical environment in which the songs could live, while at the same time having the score do the required narrative heavy lifting. Paul King is a director who puts music front and center, and I’m grateful that he gave me so much room to really explore the musical possibilities of the beautiful and exciting world he created.”
IVANA PRIMORAC (Hair & Makeup Designer)
On the details…
IVANA PRIMORAC: “Every detail of every mustache, of every eyebrow, of every single head of hair, everything was carefully designed and chosen to be the right volume and be the right color for the costume. All of the main characters have jobs in this story, so they also have to represent their job titles—it was so much fun.”
On Wonka…
IVANA PRIMORAC: “I really like Wonka, I have to say. He’s the right mixture of kooky and serious and real. I love the backstory, how Paul explained who he is and why he is. Timmy has changed hugely through costume, hair and makeup—I would say Lindy created this silhouette that carries the character through and I think is very clever. He’s quite a magical character.”
