Why Tim Burton’s Willy Wonka Remake Has A Different Title To The 1970s Movie
Gene Wilder #GeneWilder
Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been adapted to the big screen twice (without counting the prequel releasing in December 2023), the second one being directed by Tim Burton, but why did this version have a different title to the 1971 adaptation? Roald Dahl is best known for his children’s novels, which many have been adapted to different types of media for decades, and among the most popular ones is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which introduces readers to eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka and his unbelievable factory, where strange and fantastic things happened all the time.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first adapted to the big screen in 1971 as a musical titled Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Directed by Mel Stuart, the movie had Gene Wilder as the unforgettable Willy Wonka and Peter Ostrum as Charlie Bucket, the boy who after finding a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar and visiting Wonka’s chocolate factory, won the candymaker’s trust and became the heir of the factory. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is considered a classic, but Dahl disapproved of it, so in 2005, a new adaptation was brought to life with Tim Burton as director and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Burton’s version has a different title than the 1970s adaptation, restoring the novel’s original title, but it’s also an ironic one.
Related: Charlie & The Chocolate Factory 2005 vs. 1971: Differences Explained
Tim Burton Restored Charlie & The Chocolate Factory’s Original Title 
Tim Burton’s version has a different title from the 1971 version, but it’s the only one that stayed true to the novel’s original title, while Mel Stuart’s adaptation opted for making a slight change to it. Different reasons have been given as to why the 1971 version changed the title to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, such as “Mister Charlie” being a pejorative expression in the 1960s and US soldiers using the derisive term “Charlie” for the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. The studio stated that the title was changed in order to emphasize Willy Wonka as the main character, but producer David L. Wolper said it was to make the product placement for the Wonka Bar have a closer association. Director Mel Stuart confirmed that issues with the original title were pointed out to him by Black actors, while also claiming to have changed it so when someone said “I saw ‘Willy Wonka’” people would know what they were talking about rather than if they said “I saw ‘Charlie’”.
Although Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory mostly stayed loyal to the novel, Dahl disowned the movie and expressed his dislike over the changes to the plot, the music, and the emphasis on Willy Wonka, with Charlie not getting enough attention. Burton’s adaptation not only restored the novel’s original title, but it also focused more on Charlie than the 1971 movie did – and yet, it’s ironic that Burton’s version was titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Tim Burton’s Willy Wonka Movie Title Change Is Ironic 
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory took the time to explore Charlie’s backstory and his family life, which makes his whole journey a lot more exciting and heartwarming, but ironically, it also put more emphasis on Willy Wonka than the 1971 version did. Burton did so by adding Wonka’s backstory, exploring why he’s the way he is and how his love for chocolates and candy was born, while also adding trauma to his story as he didn’t have a good relationship with his father. This also made way for a more eccentric Willy Wonka than Gene Wilder’s version, with Johnny Depp stealing the show with his performance, even overshadowing Freddie Highmore’s performance as Charlie Bucket. Each version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has its charm and its strengths and weaknesses, and it’s up to viewers to decide which one did it best.