The 2007 Willy Wonka Movie Nobody Likes To Talk About
Why is nobody talking about the Willy Wonka movie from 2007? Back in 2005, Tim Burton gave audiences an updated take on Roald Dahl's beloved children's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The film, which stars Johnny Depp as the iconic candymaker Willy Wonka, was a box office success, grossing over $475 million worldwide. The picture reignited the world's love for all things Wonka, bringing the character back into everyone's minds. Two years later, "Epic Movie" hit the big screen, and featured a sequence parodying Burton's film.
After the success of "Scary Movie," creatives Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer would dominate the 2000s with their annual parody films, which spoofed contemporary and then-relevant projects. "Epic Movie" particularly tackled the high-budget franchise fare that was dominant that decade, including "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The film, which has a loose narrative, follows four orphans who find a golden ticket leading them to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Once inside, the sinister Wonka (Crispin Glover) uses their body parts as ingredients for his candy.
For example, Lucy's (Jayma Mays) heart is extracted from her body and used as the "chocolate" for a heart-shaped box, and Peter's (Adam Campbell) teeth are painfully removed and are used as the "surprise" in a box of caramel popcorn. Wonka maniacally dances through his chocolate factory in the sequence as Fergie and will.i.am's "Fergialicious" blasts. Honestly, this sequence is more horrifying than that Willy Wonka event and the scary original movie combined.
Fans are remembering Epic Movie
The infamous movie moment adds a whole new layer to the age-old question: is Willy Wonka a bad guy? The answer is yes, a thousand times yes. Upon release, "Epic Movie" emerged as one of the worst-reviewed films of all time — it has a whopping 2% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite poor critical receipt, the film grossed over $85 million worldwide and has become a weird fascination for Gen Z, who nostalgically grew up with the movie. Over on TikTok, user @megandeborah posted a video about watching the sequence and how jarring it was.
@megandeborah
The clip struck a chord with users as it has over 7.5 million views and likes north of 450K. Several users, like @SJSG, highlighted how watching "Epic Movie" was a key part of their pop culture diet, writing, "The Epic Movie is a core memory for me." And for some, like @edencheeseisyummy, this was the first "Wonka" movie that they ever watched. Yikes.
Still, many fans have positive things to say in the comments section for the YouTube video showcasing the scene. "I remember this scene being a lot less funny in my head as a child. I very much enjoyed that 15 years later," wrote @jakblue7724. "Can we at least admire this Willy Wonka's dance skills first of all," shared @brockragni1053.
Want to reclaim your childhood after that "Epic Movie" scene? Here's where you can stream all the Willy Wonka movies.