Three classic children’s books have received very different treatment on screen.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The most celebrated adaptation of this book by Roald Dahl was 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder.
I was never hugely attached to the film, although I know people who are. I remember being impressed to hear that there were just two actors playing the Oompa-Loompas,the illusion being that there were hundreds/thousands of them.
The 2005 adaptation, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was apparently a hit, and I remember enjoying it, but I think the general consensus is that the 1971 version was the version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The Wizard of Oz
While Tim Burton had “the noive” to do a remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, nobody has yet dared the same with The Wizard of Oz. There have been loads of re-tellings, of course – The Wiz, Wicked, Lion of Oz, Life on Mars, etc. – but no attempt to update the 1939 classic.
I wonder why. There could be legal reasons, but I think it’s more to do with what The Wizard of Oz has achieved. In our collective consciousness, it’s simply the definitive version of the story – more so than the original book – and any attempt to subvert that would be foolish.
Alice in Wonderland
Conversely, there are loads of versions of Alice in Wonderland, and none that really stands out as definitive. I occasionally meet people who haven’t read the books but have seen the Disney version (which actually merges elements from both of Carroll’s Alice books) – but I’d say the books have yet to experience a truly successful screen remake.
When I heard that Tim Burton was doing a version of Alice, I was excited. But I’ve since realised it’s a sequel, not an adaptation, and everyone I know that’s seen it says it’s rubbish. That’s a pity.