Willy Wonka is trending as fans debate who portrayed the character better, Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp. Author Roald Dahl published his novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1964, which became a worldwide hit with children and adults alike. The story follows a young boy named Charlie Bucket, who lives in poverty with his family, as he attempts to find a golden ticket that would grant him access to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, a mysterious place where chocolatier Willy Wonka makes a vast assortment of amazing candy. The story follows Charlie’s adventures once he and four other kids find golden tickets and make their way into the factory, which becomes a strange test of survival amidst the magical and tasty world inside.
In 1971, Gene Wilder played the role of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a musical version of Dahl’s book directed by Mel Stuart, which quickly became a cult favorite throughout the years, notably for Wilder’s portrayal of Wonka. In 2005, director Tim Burton released his take on the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which starred Johnny Depp as Wonka in a more enigmatic performance than Wilder’s deadpan and eccentric portrayal of the character. With decades separating both adaptations, the debate over who played Wonka better began to take shape, as different generations had different takes on the opposing films.
