Why Gene Wilder Didn't Like The Willy Wonka Remake

Gene Wilder was fiercely protective of his legacy as Willy Wonka.

The legendary comic star, who died earlier this week at the age of 83, didn't hold back in his later years when asked what he thought of Tim Burton's 2005 big-budget adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved book.

Back in 2013 when asked about the remake, Wilder was honest and blunt: 

"I think it's an insult - Warner Brothers' insult, I think," he said.

"Johnny Depp, I think, is a good actor, but I don't care for that director [Burton].

He's a talented man, but I don't care for him doing stuff like he did."

Depp's performance in the film proved divisive, with many viewers preferring Wilder's sly, impish take on Wonka to Depp's rather more cartoonish interpretation.

In a 2007 interview, Wilder admitted he couldn't bring himself to see the film.

"The thing that put me off ... I like Johnny Depp, I like him, as an actor I like him very much ... but when I saw little pieces in the promotion of what he was doing, I said I don't want to see the film, because I don't want to be disappointed in him," he said.

Funnily enough, Wilder himself was the subject of disapproval when the 1971 film was released. It was Dahl, author of the original 1964 book, who wasn't happy. He wanted Spike Milligan to play Wonka - and was upset the film pivoted from the book's central character, Charlie to focus more on the chocolate factory owner.

But in the end, it's clear that the world fell in love with the 1971 film and of course, Gene Wilder.