Depp and Dark Chocolate
Here are some facts about the Nestlé factory in York. It is the largest Nestlé factory in the world. It makes over 110, 000 tonnes of sweets every year. Every 15 minutes it makes enough Kit Kats to outstack the Eiffel Tower. Finally, Tim Burton may well be filming his next ‘reimagining’ there – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
It seems a logical choice. The factory is enormous and it has been going since the nineteenth century, so it has a variety of period details (big clock tower on the gates, etc) that may excite Burton’s famously gothic imagination. However, the location for shooting is far from decided, but ripples of gossip spread after Johnny Depp (billed to play Willy Wonka) was reportedly spotted in York.
With the excitement of the possibility of Johnny Depp here, we seek to become Johnny groupies, and fearlessly go on a Depp-hunt. Johnny has famously been reported to have enjoyed a beverage at the Evil Eye on Stonegate, and so that was our first hunting ground. We ordered two glasses of mead and casually brought up the Johnny rumour with the bar staff. But they were clearly going over well-covered ground: the guy behind the bar shuddered at the name Johnny. We were told in no uncertain terms that the bar guy didn’t know. It wasn’t his shift when Johnny was supposed to have been there, he didn’t know if he’d been there, and why on earth would he have any idea where he is now. We ordered another couple of drinks to placate him, and retired to a corner to discuss our next move. With filming starting so soon, we reasoned, he must be staying somewhere in York. After all, he allegedly made enquiries at the gym on Hull Road. But it didn’t seem too likely that he would be staying around there. So where? Maybe the Hilton? The Dean’s Court? Even the Monkbar? No, we thought, with the third round of drinks, that’s what they want us to think. A B&B near Tang Hall would be a far more cunning place to conceal Depp from the hordes of student groupies, desperate for some star action. After all, Dame Judy never comes anywhere near the place.
After a few rather fruitless attempts at loitering around some likely looking bedsits, we thought that finding out about the film itself might be a better idea. According to the shifting tides of gossip and news in the Tim Burton fan site, shooting of the film was due to start on the 4th May, but was put back to the 6th June. Still, that meant shooting has already started and due to the considerable lack of film crews in York , it hasn’t started anywhere near here at all. Not to worry, shooting on location could well start much later. The projected release date is July 15th 2005. There is time yet, so we will keep our ears to the ground.
As for the original film, Johnny Depp is reported to have great respect for Gene Wilder’s original performance, stating that once seen, it is “seared into your consciousness”. Tim Burton is quoted to have been less than complementary to the ‘71 version, labeling it as “too sappy”. Apparently we are to be treated to a much darker version of the Chocolate Factory. The teaser image (see above) seems to suggest the new version is going to be a little more warped. Perhaps those Oompa Loompas will be more likely to bite your kneecaps off than break into a rendition of “oompa loompa dippety doo”. What’s more, the audience of 2005 may well be treated to an all-singing, all-dancing Depp: singing has not been ruled out.
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