Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Good lord... one piece of absolute hogwash shows up in the NY POST and the whole world goes crazy.
MARILYN MANSON IS NOT PLAYING WILLY WONKA!! Got it? Tim Burton is also not directing the film. Tim Burton is busy with PLANET OF THE APES and is in talks for another genre piece that I'll hopefully be able to announce in the next few days. He's not anywhere near the Wonka project.
As for Manson, whattaya want? First, just reason it through. CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is one of the surest children's projects aside from HARRY POTTER that Warner Bros. owns. This is the studio that recently cut BATMAN BEYOND on home video, keep in mind. Why would they hire the Antichrist to play the lead in the film? Short answer: they wouldn't. I don't blame Manson for trying... the guy's practically stalking WONKA by this point. He recorded a track for his PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY album called "Prelude (The Family Trip)" with some oddly familiar lyrics:
"There's no earthly way of knowing/Which direction we are going/There's no knowing where we're going/Or which way the wind is blowing/Is it raining? Is it snowing/Is a hurricane a-blowing?/Not a speck of light is showing/So the danger must be growing/Oh, the fires of hell are glowing/Is the grisly reaper mowing/Yes! The danger must be growing/For the rowers keep on rowing/And they're certainly not showing/Any signs that they are slowing!/Stop the boat!"
That's as cool a WONKA reference as naming your band Veruca Salt. It's obvious that many people have been deeply influenced by the film and the original Roald Dahl novel CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
Those people would presumably include Gary (PLEASANTVILLE) Ross and Scott (OUT OF SIGHT) Frank, two pretty damn talented guys who have already signed a deal to direct and adapt CHARLIE. We've been following this project's rather deliberate pace through development, last talking about it in this article in March of last year. 4Filmmakers.Com, one of the best resource sites out there, still lists Ross and Frank as being attached. Hell, Scott Frank was talking about the project last week at the Writer's Guild when he made an appearance there. He's just been so swamped with Spielberg's MINORITY REPORT that he couldn't get to it. Nothing's changed... and they certainly haven't hired a lead.
I've got calls in to the offices at Warner, so we'll get some official word in the next day or so. Right now, discount this one as wishful thinking on the part of one of the most saavy media manipulators working right now. He wants the job, and he wants Tim Burton, so he's going to talk it up. Doesn't make it true. It's an old shell game in Hollywood, and Manson seems to be picking it up like an old pro.
The last tip-off? The title. They're not remaking WILLY WONKA; they're adapting CHARLIE. It's a subtle distinction, but you'd think the film's alleged star would know which one he was working on. Ross and Frank have been very clear on that so far.
Okay... so stop e-mailing me the NY POST story. Please. Thanks.
"Moriarty" out.
