Failure™ Magazine

Wonka Vision

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Written by Jason Zasky   Filed under Arts & Entertainment

For A Few Dollars More
Of course, when the boom in videocassettes and cable television took hold, Warner Bros. found its $500,000 investment turning into a gold mine. “During the ‘80s it really started to take off and when VHS came in people began to buy it for their kids,“ says Stuart. A twenty-fifth anniversary laser disc gave way to a thirtieth anniversary DVD and sales seemed to grow exponentially.

In the ‘90s, the film’s success even led to a Wonka line of candies, as Nestlé licensed the Willy Wonka name and began churning out Wonka bars, Wonka Runts and other chewy candies.

Not surprisingly, all the money now being made has led Hollywood to explore the possibility of a re-make. “I’m honored that they want to try,” says Stuart, “but I don’t see the point. I think Warner [Bros.] could make just as much money selling the videos. Maybe they feel there’s an audience for another take [on the story]. But I think it’s going to be very hard to find another Gene Wilder.”

From Here To Eternity
Ultimately, Stuart believes Willy Wonka’s level of accessibility can be traced back to its conception. “The key is that it was never made for children—it was made for adults and an adult sense of humor. Deep down I think it caught on because it’s cynical and it’s not a kiddie film,” he says. “Almost everybody in the picture—the parents, the kids, everybody except Charlie and Grandpa Joe are rather rotten people. But that’s the attraction.”

Stuart is also quick to credit its escalating popularity to television. “In a strange way, the final test is television because if people want to see it again and again you know the networks are going to put it on for them,” he says. Of course, it also helps that young parents now pass it down to their kids because they like the simple moral message: “Everybody gets their just due,” notes Stuart. “If children act badly then they will be punished and if children act nobly then they will be rewarded. I don’t know if it always works that way in life. But the idea was that if you behave and are honest good things will come to you.”

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