Wonka director reveals where Hugh Grant's 'sarcastic, scornful' Oompa Loompa came from

Virgin Radio

4 Dec 2023, 17:49

It's almost time for the much-anticipated Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet to be released on the big screen and the all-star ensemble cast looks like it's going to be a whole load of fun, too.

The stellar line-up includes Sally Hawkins as Willy's mum, Olivia Colman as the formidable Mrs. Scrubbit and Hugh Grant in the unexpected role of an Oompa Loompa — and a grumpy one at that.

The film's director and co-writer Paul King (Paddington), and co-writer Simon Farnaby told RadioTimes.com where their inspiration for Hugh Grant's mardy character came from.

King said about the new vision: "That was pretty early. I mean, obviously, the Oompa Loompas don't have any dialogue in the book, really, and the films, they've sort of got very little.

"But in the book they do have these very, very long songs - or they're presented as songs, they're poems.

"But they're so funny, and I was reading them sort of trying to get a voice in my head, and they're so sort of biting and sarcastic and scornful and incredibly funny, and Hugh's voice just kept coming towards me."

He continued: "And it probably wasn't a huge leap from there to go, 'What would Hugh look like 18 inches high with orange skin and bright green hair?' And that seemed like a pretty funny thing that I'd like to see."

Farnaby added: "I think Paul pitched that pretty early to me. Paul did the sort of story outline right at the start, and as soon as he mentioned the Oompa Loompa, you were like, 'I think we should have one Oompa Loompa in it, played by Hugh Grant.' And it was just obvious to me that that was a great choice.

"And obviously he'd done Paddington 2 and liked us, and we like writing in what we perceive to be his voice, which ends up being his voice. So that's always fun to write with him in mind."

The prequel film shows how Wonka came to be a chocolate factory owner and also stars Matt Lucas, Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Baynton, Tom Davis and Rowan Atkinson.

Wonka will be released in the UK on Friday 8 December 2023.