I have always believed that an animated version of Roald Dahl's most famous work would be absolutely incredible; and the 2013 stage adaptation lends itself perfectly for your typical animated film. The score for the musical was done by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, better known for their work on Hairspray and Mary Poppins Returns; and this draft will contain links to the songs they wrote. Note that not all of the songs they wrote for the musical will be featured here, only the songs that I would use for this hypothetical film version. Also, it should be noted that this plot is based on the London version of the musical; because the Broadway version was a steaming pile of garbage. @MANEATINGWREATH, you can vouch for that, right?
In my mind, this would be a Disney-produced film all the way. I'm sure Disney could buy the rights to the musical from Warner Bros. Besides, if the best Warner can do with the story is needlessly remaking the 1971 film with Tom and Jerry thrown in just 'cause, I think it's safe to say other studios should be allowed to tell the story in their own way.
With that in mind, let's begin.
Our tale begins in a typical quaint village. The moon rises high over the town, illuminating a soft glow on the houses below. However, unlike most towns, it has something quite special. Standing proudly at the farthest edge of the town, like Cinderella Castle at the end of Main Street, U.S.A., is the famous chocolate factory of Willy Wonka. But we shall hear of him later. For now, we go down to the other edge of town -- the dump. Mrs. Pratchett, a curmudgeonly old lady, is pushing her sweets cart. However, as she calls out her wares, she is seemingly attacked by a horde of candy-hungry children. The only child not rushing toward her is a small boy named Charlie Bucket, found perched on a hill of garbage. He is poor, and can barely afford candy as is. Mrs. Pratchett goes along her way, leaving behind a slew of wrappers. An old Tramp, who has been hiding from the horde, comes out from his hiding spot and complains about the litter. But Charlie, ever the optimist, is glad to see so many wrappers. Being poor, he recognizes the goodness in everything, and can find a usefulness for something that most people wouldn't. A budding inventor, Charlie is able to find uses for almost anything he can find. In his mind, "almost nearly perfect" is just as perfect as perfect can be! Befriending the Tramp, Charlie makes his way home, eager to share his new finds with his family.
Actually, I shouldn't say "home." Charlie's house is more like a shack, with great big holes in the roof. Nonetheless, Charlie goes inside to greet his four grandparents -- Grandpa Joe, Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina. They all share one bed, and rarely get out of it. Charlie presents each one of them with a gift -- for Georgina, an old umbrella to keep the rain from falling on her head. For Josephine, a glove to keep her hands warm. For George, an old book to sit upon so the bedspring doesn't jab. And for ol' Joe, an engraved penny to bring good luck. And for the Buckets, they need the luck, for Charlie's father, John, has been laid off from his job at the toothpaste factory; leaving only Charlie's mother, Mary, as the only one in the family with a working job as a laundress. Nonetheless, the Buckets keep their heads held high with hope for the future. As they wait for their usual dinner of cabbage soup to get done cooking, Charlie asks his grandparents to tell him about Willy Wonka, the legendary chocolatier. Although they have told him this story many times, they comply.
The grandparents tell Charlie about all the wonderful candies Willy Wonka has made, and about how everybody, rich or poor, has clamored for his candy. In particular, they tell Charlie about Prince Pondicherry, an Indian prince who had married a woman with an insatiable craving for chocolate. To please her, the prince had Wonka build a palace entirely of chocolate, foolishly ignoring the warnings that it won't last long. Indeed, when the summer came, the palace melted and turned into a lake, and the prince and his princess drowned in it. "They died because they were greedy," the grandparents explain to Charlie. The mood soon becomes even more serious as the grandparents tell Charlie about something he never knew before -- why the factory closed. They explain it was because of three no-good spies: Fickelgruber, Prodnose and Slugworth, who were jealous of Wonka's success. They snuck in and stole all his recipes to set up factories of their own. Because of this, Wonka closed the factory down and locked the gates shut. However, a few months later, the townsfolk noticed that smoke was coming from the chimneys! Wonka was back! But strangely, the gates remained locked shut. Nobody went in and nobody went out. And perhaps strangest of all, late at night, some people say they could see little shadows passing by the lit windows.
At that moment, John and Mary come in the house. John brings with him an old table leg to be used for lighting a fire; and he's also found a notebook for Charlie, with a few blank pages at the back. As Mary leaves for work, Charlie is sent upstairs to do his homework. However, thoughts of sweet candy overtake Charlie's mind, and thus, the boy decides to do something else. Taking out a worn old notebook -- his precious idea notebook -- Charlie composes a letter to Mr. Wonka, asking for confectionery to be made specifically for his grandparents. When it's finished, Charlie takes the letter, turns it into a paper airplane, and sends it soaring out into the night air.
The next day, Mary returns home with a newspaper she found abandoned at the bus stop. Even better, it's today's! What could be even more better? Well, when John opens the newspaper to read, Charlie stands agape at the big headline on the other side of the paper -- "WONKA FACTORY TO OPEN AT LAST!" As Charlie passes out from excitement, John reads what brought about that headline. According to the papers, Willy Wonka is holding a very special contest. He will hide five Golden Tickets inside five chocolate bars, and whoever finds a Ticket will not only win a lifetime supply of Wonka candy, but also get the chance to see the Wonka factory live and in person, with a tour conducted by Willy Wonka himself! Charlie is desperate to win one, but being poor, his chances seem slim. Even worse, the family does not have enough money to buy him his yearly birthday bar. However, as Charlie departs for school, Joe decides to buy Charlie a chocolate bar himself, using money from a secretive stash.
Later that night, a curious Charlie wonders if someone has found a Ticket yet. Using a Rube Goldberg-esque homemade TV, powered via bike, the family is able to see newsman Jerry announce that the first Ticket has been found! His correspondent, Cherry Sunday, is live in Bavaria, Germany, home of the first winner: a rotund butcher's son named Augustus Gloop. Augustus does nothing but eat and eat and eat some more. He found the ticket because he accidentally bit into the corner of the ticket; and only noticed it when he felt how strange the bar tasted! Despite Augustus' bad habit, his proud mother, Mrs. Gloop, could not be prouder. In her mind, this sort of thing is normal, and it's far better than being some sort of hooligan causing havoc. No sooner is Augustus announced that another news bulletin comes in announcing the second find! It seems a British billionaire’s baby ballerina is the lucky one this time, and her name is Veruca Salt. Her father, Mr. Salt, a wealthy peanut tycoon, was able to find her ticket by having his nut-shelling workers shell chocolate bars until they found one. However, Veruca is quite spoiled, and is more than happy to brag about her find.
The next day is Charlie's birthday, and Joe gives Charlie his special chocolate bar. The whole family is anxious to see if Charlie has struck lucky, but alas, he comes up short. Although disappointed, Charlie tries his best to hide it. "It’s still chocolate", he says, "it's still the best present ever." He takes the tiniest bite out of it that he can, and he wonders if he can make it last a whole year. Just then, the ominous words -- "Breaking news" -- are heard from the TV. Another ticket winner has been found in Hollywood and it is wannabe gum-chewing star Violet Beauregarde. Violet is hungry for fame, and given that people can become famous for doing nothing nowadays, Violet and her father, Eugene, have turned her gum-chewing ability into a lucrative enterprise. They brag about her gum-chewing records, and Violet tells of how she only was interested in the contest because she likes to win, going so far as to lay off her precious gum for a while until she found the Golden Ticket. Could things possibly get any worse? Sadly, yes, because soon, news comes in about the fourth ticket winner, a boy named Mike Teavee. He is not your average kid. Frankly, he's more like a criminal trapped in a kid's body! His paranoid and neurotic mother, Doris, tries to brush off the concerns the press raises, and states that he's perfectly fine as long as he's in front of some sort of electronic device. Mike is briefly pulled away from the screen for a while and he brags about how he got his ticket by hacking into the Wonka security mainframe.
With news of this horrendous beast getting the fourth ticket, all the Buckets are despondent, and fear that another horrible kid will get the fifth. Charlie, by far, is the most despondent. John tries to interest him in looking for shooting stars through the holes in the shack roof and wishing on them, but Charlie isn’t interested. "Don't waste a wish on me", Charlie tells him. Mary comes home from the laundry as John leaves to look for work. Both parents feel at a loss, and together, they wish they could raise their son together and about how they hope for a better life. The winter gets colder and Charlie is refusing to take on his grandparents' helpings, despite their concern. Later that night, as a shivering Charlie sleeps, John decides to make a wish on behalf of his son.
A few days later, a cold, starving and thinly Charlie is desperately perusing for anything. The Tramp we met at the start of the film offers Charlie some old newspaper to stuff inside his clothes for warmth. Just then, a rich and idle couple stops by Mrs. Pratchett's stall, accidentally dropping some money as they leave. Brushing off Charlie, thinking him to be some hobo asking for money, they leave the dropped money in Charlie's hands. With the encouragement of the Tramp, Charlie buys a bar off Mrs. Pratchett. However, as he finishes devouring the bar, he notices there's still enough money left for another. The Tramp encourages him to make sure this particular bar is in good quality. And when Charlie slowly opens the wrapper, a brilliant flash of gold fills his eyes. Charlie has found the fifth Golden Ticket! The Tramp sends him home, and Charlie excitedly shares the good news with his family! Grandpa Joe is asked to read what the ticket says...
"Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this Golden Ticket from Mr. Willy Wonka! I shake you warmly by the hand! Tremendous things are in store for you; for now, I cordially invite you to come to my factory and be my guest for one whole day. Present this ticket at the factory gates at ten o’clock in the morning on the first day of February, and don’t be late! You may bring along one member of your own family to look after you and ensure you don’t get into any mischief. In your wildest dreams, you could not imagine what marvelous surprises await you! Just wait and see!"
However, the jubilation is cut short when Mary points out that the first day of February is tomorrow! As the family rushes to get Charlie ready, John asks who Charlie would like to take. There's no hesitation on his part -- he wants Grandpa Joe to take him. Joe, who has been waiting for this day his whole life, is happy to comply, and wobbily gets out of bed. Joe and Charlie even encourage the other three grandparents to get out of bed, as the family and the press together celebrate this unlikely find.
The big day arrives. All five Golden Ticket winners gather before Willy Wonka’s imposing factory gates. Charlie and Joe feel out of place amidst all the hoopla on the red carpet. Finally, the moment of truth arrives. With a choral fanfare, the factory door swings open and all eyes turn to see the mysterious Willy Wonka… silhouetted in the smoke is an old man bent over a walking stick, about to totter down the factory steps... but he doesn’t totter for long! Using sleight of hand, his old man robes disappear to reveal a well-dressed man, who welcomes his guests and makes all present aware of the great surp rises that await these lucky five.
Skipping the pleasantries, Willy gathers the winners in the main hall of the factory, where the guardians must sign a contract in order to begin the tour. The families are dazed as Willy explains the rules and regulations with his own brand of somersaulting words. With the contract signed, Willy welcomes them to the first major room of the factory: the Chocolate Room. This is a candy utopia where everything, from the grass to the trees, is made of confectionery. The main highlight is a chocolate waterfall, which mixes the chocolate and carries it down a beautiful chocolate river. As the children are free to graze and explore, the guardians ask what the purpose of this room is. Willy explains that it's merely art, something to brighten the world up a bit. To him, making candy is "simply second nature." The reverie of Willy's mission statement is broken with a scream. Veruca is screaming in shock -- Augustus is drinking from the chocolate river! As Willy tries to get him to stop, Augustus slips and falls right into the river! Factory alarms sound and a vast array of pipes descend as Augustus is sucked up a pipe bound for the Fudge Room. The families look up and are amazed to see, amongst the plumbing, dozens of tiny workers in red boiler suits. These workers are known as Oompa-Loompas, and they are the secret workers that people have wondered about ever since the factory re-opened. Alas, these Oompa-Loompas make no effort to save Augustus and instead, sing about the fudgy fate that awaits him. With Augustus gone, Willy is more concerned about the possible contamination of bones in his toffee. The party is shocked and mortified, but Willy assures them that he'll be fine.
A beautiful candy boat comes down the river, ready to take them to the next leg of the tour. Although the ride is peaceful at first, once the boat reaches a tunnel, the cruise turns into a wild roller-coaster ride! The boat slides and glides down the chocolate river like a white-water raft, as the boat passes by all sorts of rooms -- past Square Candies That Look Round (whose eyes watch as the boat zips by), past Jelly Babies -- literal Jelly Babies -- and past various storerooms, such as the Cream Room, the Whip Room and the Bean Room. At last, the boat makes a corkscrew around a chocolate volcano, which erupts in a beautiful display, sending lovely melted chocolate down the base and splashing the entourage a bit. When the boat ride stops, the guests find themselves docked outside the Inventing Room. Looking more like a unique laboratory, the Inventing Room is full of test tubes and strange machines and bubbling pots of colored liquid. White coated Oompa-Loompas mix and stir to make sure these new creations are ready for the market. Willy gives every child an Everlasting Gobstopper, a candy that never gets smaller, so you can suck on it forever and ever, as a souvenir of the tour but Violet is unimpressed. Willy wonders if she might be interested in his latest creation, in which an entire three-course dinner from 1979 is contained in one tiny strip of gum. Of course, Violet, seizing any opportunity to increase her fame, snatches the gum and pops it in her mouth. Against Willy's warnings to stop before she reaches dessert, Violet tastes a meal of tomato soup, followed by roast chicken with potatoes and gravy. But then, a look of pure pleasure comes over Violet's face. She's reached dessert: blueberry pie. But then, something strange happens -- her body begins to turn blue and her body begins to grow rounder and rounder. In short, she's turning into a blueberry! As an ever-growing Violet spins around like a disco ball, the Oompa-Loompas break out their platform shoes to sing and dance of her fate. As the song concludes, Violet explodes (off-screen, of course) and purple goo and glitter line the walls of the Inventing Room. Eugene is led away to the Juicing Room, upset that his little money-maker has exploded. Once again, all are horrified but Wonka remains unconcerned, saying that Violet will be restored once she gets to the Juicing Room.
Next, Willy leads them on a high speed tour round the crazy corridors of his factory until, disoriented, they arrive at The Nut Room, where the factory nuts are tested by a small army of trained squirrels. The squirrels have a special method of testing: they tap the nut then listen to its inside. If the nut is good, it is kept and becomes an ingredient in the candy. But if it's bad, marked by a hollow sound, it goes down the garbage chute in the center of the room. Veruca demands a squirrel, and when -- for the first time in her life -- someone, namely Willy, says "no" to her, she decides to get one herself. However, as she reaches the squirrel she wants, she is pinned down to the ground as the squirrel climbs up to her forehead and taps on her head, then listens. The squirrel lets out a squeak. The room goes silent. Willy knows what that means -- "Oh, no. She's a bad nut. Her head must have sounded quite hollow." Suddenly the room fills with Oompa-Loompas riding on the back of giant squirrels. Together, they dance a nightmarish ballet before ushering Veruca and her father down the chute. Again, Willy assures the remaining visitors that Veruca and her father will be all right. The chute merely leads out into the sewage treatment ponds, so they'll emerge fine.
With only two kids left, Willy leads the group down to the lowest level of the factory, home to the biggest and most secretive room in the whole factory: the Department of the Future. This is where Willy's most innovative invention is being tested, a little something called "Television Chocolate." He explains: "If normal television can break a picture up, send it through space and re-assemble it all on the other end, why can't you do the same thing with chocolate?" To demonstrate his point before his guests' unbelieving eyes, he sends a huge chocolate bar through Television Chocolate and it re-emerges on a TV on the far end of the room, smaller, yet perfectly edible. Mike is intrigued by this invention, and asks if anything can be sent through this contraption, even people. When Willy expresses a thought that such a feat could be possible, Mike rushes to the camera, presses the button and disappears. As the group looks for him on the monitors, the Oompa-Loompas lament how technology is being used to keep rowdy kids in line. Willy finally finds Mike, but the boy has shrunk to a height of only six inches tall! Despite this, Doris admits she prefers Mike in this state, because when he's this small, he can't go out causing trouble anymore, and she can always keep an eye on him. With that, she places the former rabble-rouser in her purse and leaves the factory satisfied.
Only Charlie remains. Willy decides to show them one last room -- the Imagining Room, found at the highest level of the factory. It's a blank room, with a large window overlooking the town below. The only things inside the room are a table and a notebook -- namely, Willy's idea notebook. Charlie wants to look at it, but Willy refuses to let him. Besides, it's time to go home anyway. Joe asks when Charlie will receive his lifetime supply of confectionery, and Willy explains he already has it -- the Everlasting Gobstopper. Angered by this perceived trickery, Joe states that Charlie has been good as gold the whole time, and thus, he deserves "a proper lifetime supply of candy, not some measly little Gobstopper." Willy himself is angered by this notion: "Measly?! How dare you insult my work!" The two are about to fight, but Charlie defuses the situation. "An Everlasting Gobstopper is still an amazing present." Sensing that the two adults should not have this conversation in front of the innocent child, Willy decides to take Joe aside to sort out the legal details, leaving Charlie all alone. But before he leaves, Willy gives Charlie one rule: do not touch anything.
All alone, try as he may, Charlie cannot resist looking at the book. However, as he looks, he notices that there are a few pages in the back that are blank. Charlie instantly shuts the book, knowing that he will be in even more trouble if he writes in the book. Alas, the temptation is too strong and he fills the blank pages with all sorts of wonderful candy ideas. His reverie is interrupted when Willy enters the room, catching Charlie in the act. Seemingly angry with the boy, Willy tells Charlie, "You know, Charlie, I've learned something today -- every kid has their vice. And your vice, Charlie, is the fact that you just can't stop making something out of nothing, not even for the tiniest moment!" Charlie asks "Have I done something wrong?" The facade breaks. Willy smiles at Charlie. "No, Charlie -- strike that and reverse it. You've done something right. You've won!" With that, a trap door opens in the floor, revealing the Great Glass Elevator.
Shooting through the roof of the factory like a star rising up into the sky, Charlie is awed by how beautiful the town looks from up high. Willy asks Charlie, "How did you like the factory?" "I think it's the most wonderful place in the world", Charlie replies. "I'm very glad to hear that, Charlie", Willy says, "because I'm giving it to you." Yes, this is the true grand prize of the Golden Ticket contest. Willy created the contest so that he may find his heir, and he has found a perfect heir in little Charlie. This wondrous "world of pure imagination" is now Charlie's, and as the two enjoy the ride, Willy reveals that he got the letter after all.
Returning to Earth, Willy lands the Elevator outside the factory gates, where Charlie is greeted by his family. Crates are piled up by the front door containing all of Willy's possessions. He explains to Charlie that he will be moving out because Charlie will be moving in. The Oompa-Loompas welcome Charlie as their new boss, and Joe reveals that he's become the factory's official taste-tester! With the family reunited and with Willy's encouragement, Charlie leads the family and the Oompa-Loompas into the factory. Outside, the Tramp returns, revealing himself to be Willy Wonka. He takes one last look at his factory, full of light and life, and sees Charlie and the Oompa-Loompas waving goodbye. Reflecting on the possibility of new adventures, Willy tells us that we may see him amongst our world, because this world of ours is full of new achievements waiting to be found, and "they must be believed to be seen."
SCENE SYNOPSIS
"Creation Overture" (optional scene; not included in plot draft)
Scene One: The Dump, meet Charlie Bucket and the Tramp
SONG: "Almost Nearly Perfect"
Scene Two: The Bucket Shack, meet grandparents and parents, grandparents tell story of Wonka to Charlie, Charlie writes letter
SONG: "A Letter from Charlie Bucket"
Scene Three: Morning, the Golden Ticket contest is announced.
Scene Four: Evening, news of Augustus and Veruca
Scene Five: Charlie's birthday, no luck, news of Violet
Scene Six: Evening, news of Mike, Charlie is despondent
SONG: "If Your Mother Were Here"
Scene Seven: The Dump, Charlie finds the stray money, buys chocolate bar, gets ticket
Scene Eight: The Bucket Shack, Charlie announces find, Grandparents get out of bed, Joe is chosen to go with Charlie
SONG: "Don't Ya Pinch Me Charlie"
Scene Nine: The Factory Gates, the winners arrive, Wonka is revealed
SONG: "It Must Be Believed to Be Seen"
Scene Ten: The Main Hall
SONG: "Strike That! Reverse It!"
Scene Eleven: The Chocolate Room, Wonka explains purpose and Augustus meets his downfall
SONG: "Simply Second Nature"
SONG: "Auf Wiedersehen Augustus Gloop"
Scene Twelve: The Boat Ride, tunnel/roller-coaster
Scene Thirteen: The Inventing Room, Wonka gives children Everlasting Gobstoppers, Violet meets her downfall
SONG: "Juicy!"
Scene Fourteen: Corridor Run
Scene Fifteen: The Nut Room, Veruca's downfall
SONG: "Veruca's Nutcracker Suite"
Scene Sixteen: The Department of the Future/Television Chocolate, Mike's downfall
SONG: "Vidiots"
Scene Sixteen: The Imagining Room, Charlie's test
Scene Seventeen: The Great Glass Elevator, Wonka gives Charlie his factory
SONG: "Pure Imagination"
Scene Eighteen: Finale, the family moves in to the factory, Wonka goes out into the world
SONG: "It Must Be Believed to Be Seen (reprise)"
And there we have it -- my vision for a Disney animated version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! What do you guys think?
In my mind, this would be a Disney-produced film all the way. I'm sure Disney could buy the rights to the musical from Warner Bros. Besides, if the best Warner can do with the story is needlessly remaking the 1971 film with Tom and Jerry thrown in just 'cause, I think it's safe to say other studios should be allowed to tell the story in their own way.
With that in mind, let's begin.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
adapted from the stage play by David Greig
and the book written by Roald Dahl
~ ~ ~
adapted from the stage play by David Greig
and the book written by Roald Dahl
~ ~ ~
Our tale begins in a typical quaint village. The moon rises high over the town, illuminating a soft glow on the houses below. However, unlike most towns, it has something quite special. Standing proudly at the farthest edge of the town, like Cinderella Castle at the end of Main Street, U.S.A., is the famous chocolate factory of Willy Wonka. But we shall hear of him later. For now, we go down to the other edge of town -- the dump. Mrs. Pratchett, a curmudgeonly old lady, is pushing her sweets cart. However, as she calls out her wares, she is seemingly attacked by a horde of candy-hungry children. The only child not rushing toward her is a small boy named Charlie Bucket, found perched on a hill of garbage. He is poor, and can barely afford candy as is. Mrs. Pratchett goes along her way, leaving behind a slew of wrappers. An old Tramp, who has been hiding from the horde, comes out from his hiding spot and complains about the litter. But Charlie, ever the optimist, is glad to see so many wrappers. Being poor, he recognizes the goodness in everything, and can find a usefulness for something that most people wouldn't. A budding inventor, Charlie is able to find uses for almost anything he can find. In his mind, "almost nearly perfect" is just as perfect as perfect can be! Befriending the Tramp, Charlie makes his way home, eager to share his new finds with his family.
Actually, I shouldn't say "home." Charlie's house is more like a shack, with great big holes in the roof. Nonetheless, Charlie goes inside to greet his four grandparents -- Grandpa Joe, Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina. They all share one bed, and rarely get out of it. Charlie presents each one of them with a gift -- for Georgina, an old umbrella to keep the rain from falling on her head. For Josephine, a glove to keep her hands warm. For George, an old book to sit upon so the bedspring doesn't jab. And for ol' Joe, an engraved penny to bring good luck. And for the Buckets, they need the luck, for Charlie's father, John, has been laid off from his job at the toothpaste factory; leaving only Charlie's mother, Mary, as the only one in the family with a working job as a laundress. Nonetheless, the Buckets keep their heads held high with hope for the future. As they wait for their usual dinner of cabbage soup to get done cooking, Charlie asks his grandparents to tell him about Willy Wonka, the legendary chocolatier. Although they have told him this story many times, they comply.
The grandparents tell Charlie about all the wonderful candies Willy Wonka has made, and about how everybody, rich or poor, has clamored for his candy. In particular, they tell Charlie about Prince Pondicherry, an Indian prince who had married a woman with an insatiable craving for chocolate. To please her, the prince had Wonka build a palace entirely of chocolate, foolishly ignoring the warnings that it won't last long. Indeed, when the summer came, the palace melted and turned into a lake, and the prince and his princess drowned in it. "They died because they were greedy," the grandparents explain to Charlie. The mood soon becomes even more serious as the grandparents tell Charlie about something he never knew before -- why the factory closed. They explain it was because of three no-good spies: Fickelgruber, Prodnose and Slugworth, who were jealous of Wonka's success. They snuck in and stole all his recipes to set up factories of their own. Because of this, Wonka closed the factory down and locked the gates shut. However, a few months later, the townsfolk noticed that smoke was coming from the chimneys! Wonka was back! But strangely, the gates remained locked shut. Nobody went in and nobody went out. And perhaps strangest of all, late at night, some people say they could see little shadows passing by the lit windows.
At that moment, John and Mary come in the house. John brings with him an old table leg to be used for lighting a fire; and he's also found a notebook for Charlie, with a few blank pages at the back. As Mary leaves for work, Charlie is sent upstairs to do his homework. However, thoughts of sweet candy overtake Charlie's mind, and thus, the boy decides to do something else. Taking out a worn old notebook -- his precious idea notebook -- Charlie composes a letter to Mr. Wonka, asking for confectionery to be made specifically for his grandparents. When it's finished, Charlie takes the letter, turns it into a paper airplane, and sends it soaring out into the night air.
The next day, Mary returns home with a newspaper she found abandoned at the bus stop. Even better, it's today's! What could be even more better? Well, when John opens the newspaper to read, Charlie stands agape at the big headline on the other side of the paper -- "WONKA FACTORY TO OPEN AT LAST!" As Charlie passes out from excitement, John reads what brought about that headline. According to the papers, Willy Wonka is holding a very special contest. He will hide five Golden Tickets inside five chocolate bars, and whoever finds a Ticket will not only win a lifetime supply of Wonka candy, but also get the chance to see the Wonka factory live and in person, with a tour conducted by Willy Wonka himself! Charlie is desperate to win one, but being poor, his chances seem slim. Even worse, the family does not have enough money to buy him his yearly birthday bar. However, as Charlie departs for school, Joe decides to buy Charlie a chocolate bar himself, using money from a secretive stash.
Later that night, a curious Charlie wonders if someone has found a Ticket yet. Using a Rube Goldberg-esque homemade TV, powered via bike, the family is able to see newsman Jerry announce that the first Ticket has been found! His correspondent, Cherry Sunday, is live in Bavaria, Germany, home of the first winner: a rotund butcher's son named Augustus Gloop. Augustus does nothing but eat and eat and eat some more. He found the ticket because he accidentally bit into the corner of the ticket; and only noticed it when he felt how strange the bar tasted! Despite Augustus' bad habit, his proud mother, Mrs. Gloop, could not be prouder. In her mind, this sort of thing is normal, and it's far better than being some sort of hooligan causing havoc. No sooner is Augustus announced that another news bulletin comes in announcing the second find! It seems a British billionaire’s baby ballerina is the lucky one this time, and her name is Veruca Salt. Her father, Mr. Salt, a wealthy peanut tycoon, was able to find her ticket by having his nut-shelling workers shell chocolate bars until they found one. However, Veruca is quite spoiled, and is more than happy to brag about her find.
The next day is Charlie's birthday, and Joe gives Charlie his special chocolate bar. The whole family is anxious to see if Charlie has struck lucky, but alas, he comes up short. Although disappointed, Charlie tries his best to hide it. "It’s still chocolate", he says, "it's still the best present ever." He takes the tiniest bite out of it that he can, and he wonders if he can make it last a whole year. Just then, the ominous words -- "Breaking news" -- are heard from the TV. Another ticket winner has been found in Hollywood and it is wannabe gum-chewing star Violet Beauregarde. Violet is hungry for fame, and given that people can become famous for doing nothing nowadays, Violet and her father, Eugene, have turned her gum-chewing ability into a lucrative enterprise. They brag about her gum-chewing records, and Violet tells of how she only was interested in the contest because she likes to win, going so far as to lay off her precious gum for a while until she found the Golden Ticket. Could things possibly get any worse? Sadly, yes, because soon, news comes in about the fourth ticket winner, a boy named Mike Teavee. He is not your average kid. Frankly, he's more like a criminal trapped in a kid's body! His paranoid and neurotic mother, Doris, tries to brush off the concerns the press raises, and states that he's perfectly fine as long as he's in front of some sort of electronic device. Mike is briefly pulled away from the screen for a while and he brags about how he got his ticket by hacking into the Wonka security mainframe.
With news of this horrendous beast getting the fourth ticket, all the Buckets are despondent, and fear that another horrible kid will get the fifth. Charlie, by far, is the most despondent. John tries to interest him in looking for shooting stars through the holes in the shack roof and wishing on them, but Charlie isn’t interested. "Don't waste a wish on me", Charlie tells him. Mary comes home from the laundry as John leaves to look for work. Both parents feel at a loss, and together, they wish they could raise their son together and about how they hope for a better life. The winter gets colder and Charlie is refusing to take on his grandparents' helpings, despite their concern. Later that night, as a shivering Charlie sleeps, John decides to make a wish on behalf of his son.
A few days later, a cold, starving and thinly Charlie is desperately perusing for anything. The Tramp we met at the start of the film offers Charlie some old newspaper to stuff inside his clothes for warmth. Just then, a rich and idle couple stops by Mrs. Pratchett's stall, accidentally dropping some money as they leave. Brushing off Charlie, thinking him to be some hobo asking for money, they leave the dropped money in Charlie's hands. With the encouragement of the Tramp, Charlie buys a bar off Mrs. Pratchett. However, as he finishes devouring the bar, he notices there's still enough money left for another. The Tramp encourages him to make sure this particular bar is in good quality. And when Charlie slowly opens the wrapper, a brilliant flash of gold fills his eyes. Charlie has found the fifth Golden Ticket! The Tramp sends him home, and Charlie excitedly shares the good news with his family! Grandpa Joe is asked to read what the ticket says...
"Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this Golden Ticket from Mr. Willy Wonka! I shake you warmly by the hand! Tremendous things are in store for you; for now, I cordially invite you to come to my factory and be my guest for one whole day. Present this ticket at the factory gates at ten o’clock in the morning on the first day of February, and don’t be late! You may bring along one member of your own family to look after you and ensure you don’t get into any mischief. In your wildest dreams, you could not imagine what marvelous surprises await you! Just wait and see!"
However, the jubilation is cut short when Mary points out that the first day of February is tomorrow! As the family rushes to get Charlie ready, John asks who Charlie would like to take. There's no hesitation on his part -- he wants Grandpa Joe to take him. Joe, who has been waiting for this day his whole life, is happy to comply, and wobbily gets out of bed. Joe and Charlie even encourage the other three grandparents to get out of bed, as the family and the press together celebrate this unlikely find.
The big day arrives. All five Golden Ticket winners gather before Willy Wonka’s imposing factory gates. Charlie and Joe feel out of place amidst all the hoopla on the red carpet. Finally, the moment of truth arrives. With a choral fanfare, the factory door swings open and all eyes turn to see the mysterious Willy Wonka… silhouetted in the smoke is an old man bent over a walking stick, about to totter down the factory steps... but he doesn’t totter for long! Using sleight of hand, his old man robes disappear to reveal a well-dressed man, who welcomes his guests and makes all present aware of the great surp rises that await these lucky five.
Skipping the pleasantries, Willy gathers the winners in the main hall of the factory, where the guardians must sign a contract in order to begin the tour. The families are dazed as Willy explains the rules and regulations with his own brand of somersaulting words. With the contract signed, Willy welcomes them to the first major room of the factory: the Chocolate Room. This is a candy utopia where everything, from the grass to the trees, is made of confectionery. The main highlight is a chocolate waterfall, which mixes the chocolate and carries it down a beautiful chocolate river. As the children are free to graze and explore, the guardians ask what the purpose of this room is. Willy explains that it's merely art, something to brighten the world up a bit. To him, making candy is "simply second nature." The reverie of Willy's mission statement is broken with a scream. Veruca is screaming in shock -- Augustus is drinking from the chocolate river! As Willy tries to get him to stop, Augustus slips and falls right into the river! Factory alarms sound and a vast array of pipes descend as Augustus is sucked up a pipe bound for the Fudge Room. The families look up and are amazed to see, amongst the plumbing, dozens of tiny workers in red boiler suits. These workers are known as Oompa-Loompas, and they are the secret workers that people have wondered about ever since the factory re-opened. Alas, these Oompa-Loompas make no effort to save Augustus and instead, sing about the fudgy fate that awaits him. With Augustus gone, Willy is more concerned about the possible contamination of bones in his toffee. The party is shocked and mortified, but Willy assures them that he'll be fine.
A beautiful candy boat comes down the river, ready to take them to the next leg of the tour. Although the ride is peaceful at first, once the boat reaches a tunnel, the cruise turns into a wild roller-coaster ride! The boat slides and glides down the chocolate river like a white-water raft, as the boat passes by all sorts of rooms -- past Square Candies That Look Round (whose eyes watch as the boat zips by), past Jelly Babies -- literal Jelly Babies -- and past various storerooms, such as the Cream Room, the Whip Room and the Bean Room. At last, the boat makes a corkscrew around a chocolate volcano, which erupts in a beautiful display, sending lovely melted chocolate down the base and splashing the entourage a bit. When the boat ride stops, the guests find themselves docked outside the Inventing Room. Looking more like a unique laboratory, the Inventing Room is full of test tubes and strange machines and bubbling pots of colored liquid. White coated Oompa-Loompas mix and stir to make sure these new creations are ready for the market. Willy gives every child an Everlasting Gobstopper, a candy that never gets smaller, so you can suck on it forever and ever, as a souvenir of the tour but Violet is unimpressed. Willy wonders if she might be interested in his latest creation, in which an entire three-course dinner from 1979 is contained in one tiny strip of gum. Of course, Violet, seizing any opportunity to increase her fame, snatches the gum and pops it in her mouth. Against Willy's warnings to stop before she reaches dessert, Violet tastes a meal of tomato soup, followed by roast chicken with potatoes and gravy. But then, a look of pure pleasure comes over Violet's face. She's reached dessert: blueberry pie. But then, something strange happens -- her body begins to turn blue and her body begins to grow rounder and rounder. In short, she's turning into a blueberry! As an ever-growing Violet spins around like a disco ball, the Oompa-Loompas break out their platform shoes to sing and dance of her fate. As the song concludes, Violet explodes (off-screen, of course) and purple goo and glitter line the walls of the Inventing Room. Eugene is led away to the Juicing Room, upset that his little money-maker has exploded. Once again, all are horrified but Wonka remains unconcerned, saying that Violet will be restored once she gets to the Juicing Room.
Next, Willy leads them on a high speed tour round the crazy corridors of his factory until, disoriented, they arrive at The Nut Room, where the factory nuts are tested by a small army of trained squirrels. The squirrels have a special method of testing: they tap the nut then listen to its inside. If the nut is good, it is kept and becomes an ingredient in the candy. But if it's bad, marked by a hollow sound, it goes down the garbage chute in the center of the room. Veruca demands a squirrel, and when -- for the first time in her life -- someone, namely Willy, says "no" to her, she decides to get one herself. However, as she reaches the squirrel she wants, she is pinned down to the ground as the squirrel climbs up to her forehead and taps on her head, then listens. The squirrel lets out a squeak. The room goes silent. Willy knows what that means -- "Oh, no. She's a bad nut. Her head must have sounded quite hollow." Suddenly the room fills with Oompa-Loompas riding on the back of giant squirrels. Together, they dance a nightmarish ballet before ushering Veruca and her father down the chute. Again, Willy assures the remaining visitors that Veruca and her father will be all right. The chute merely leads out into the sewage treatment ponds, so they'll emerge fine.
With only two kids left, Willy leads the group down to the lowest level of the factory, home to the biggest and most secretive room in the whole factory: the Department of the Future. This is where Willy's most innovative invention is being tested, a little something called "Television Chocolate." He explains: "If normal television can break a picture up, send it through space and re-assemble it all on the other end, why can't you do the same thing with chocolate?" To demonstrate his point before his guests' unbelieving eyes, he sends a huge chocolate bar through Television Chocolate and it re-emerges on a TV on the far end of the room, smaller, yet perfectly edible. Mike is intrigued by this invention, and asks if anything can be sent through this contraption, even people. When Willy expresses a thought that such a feat could be possible, Mike rushes to the camera, presses the button and disappears. As the group looks for him on the monitors, the Oompa-Loompas lament how technology is being used to keep rowdy kids in line. Willy finally finds Mike, but the boy has shrunk to a height of only six inches tall! Despite this, Doris admits she prefers Mike in this state, because when he's this small, he can't go out causing trouble anymore, and she can always keep an eye on him. With that, she places the former rabble-rouser in her purse and leaves the factory satisfied.
Only Charlie remains. Willy decides to show them one last room -- the Imagining Room, found at the highest level of the factory. It's a blank room, with a large window overlooking the town below. The only things inside the room are a table and a notebook -- namely, Willy's idea notebook. Charlie wants to look at it, but Willy refuses to let him. Besides, it's time to go home anyway. Joe asks when Charlie will receive his lifetime supply of confectionery, and Willy explains he already has it -- the Everlasting Gobstopper. Angered by this perceived trickery, Joe states that Charlie has been good as gold the whole time, and thus, he deserves "a proper lifetime supply of candy, not some measly little Gobstopper." Willy himself is angered by this notion: "Measly?! How dare you insult my work!" The two are about to fight, but Charlie defuses the situation. "An Everlasting Gobstopper is still an amazing present." Sensing that the two adults should not have this conversation in front of the innocent child, Willy decides to take Joe aside to sort out the legal details, leaving Charlie all alone. But before he leaves, Willy gives Charlie one rule: do not touch anything.
All alone, try as he may, Charlie cannot resist looking at the book. However, as he looks, he notices that there are a few pages in the back that are blank. Charlie instantly shuts the book, knowing that he will be in even more trouble if he writes in the book. Alas, the temptation is too strong and he fills the blank pages with all sorts of wonderful candy ideas. His reverie is interrupted when Willy enters the room, catching Charlie in the act. Seemingly angry with the boy, Willy tells Charlie, "You know, Charlie, I've learned something today -- every kid has their vice. And your vice, Charlie, is the fact that you just can't stop making something out of nothing, not even for the tiniest moment!" Charlie asks "Have I done something wrong?" The facade breaks. Willy smiles at Charlie. "No, Charlie -- strike that and reverse it. You've done something right. You've won!" With that, a trap door opens in the floor, revealing the Great Glass Elevator.
Shooting through the roof of the factory like a star rising up into the sky, Charlie is awed by how beautiful the town looks from up high. Willy asks Charlie, "How did you like the factory?" "I think it's the most wonderful place in the world", Charlie replies. "I'm very glad to hear that, Charlie", Willy says, "because I'm giving it to you." Yes, this is the true grand prize of the Golden Ticket contest. Willy created the contest so that he may find his heir, and he has found a perfect heir in little Charlie. This wondrous "world of pure imagination" is now Charlie's, and as the two enjoy the ride, Willy reveals that he got the letter after all.
Returning to Earth, Willy lands the Elevator outside the factory gates, where Charlie is greeted by his family. Crates are piled up by the front door containing all of Willy's possessions. He explains to Charlie that he will be moving out because Charlie will be moving in. The Oompa-Loompas welcome Charlie as their new boss, and Joe reveals that he's become the factory's official taste-tester! With the family reunited and with Willy's encouragement, Charlie leads the family and the Oompa-Loompas into the factory. Outside, the Tramp returns, revealing himself to be Willy Wonka. He takes one last look at his factory, full of light and life, and sees Charlie and the Oompa-Loompas waving goodbye. Reflecting on the possibility of new adventures, Willy tells us that we may see him amongst our world, because this world of ours is full of new achievements waiting to be found, and "they must be believed to be seen."
~ ~ ~
SCENE SYNOPSIS
"Creation Overture" (optional scene; not included in plot draft)
Scene One: The Dump, meet Charlie Bucket and the Tramp
SONG: "Almost Nearly Perfect"
Scene Two: The Bucket Shack, meet grandparents and parents, grandparents tell story of Wonka to Charlie, Charlie writes letter
SONG: "A Letter from Charlie Bucket"
Scene Three: Morning, the Golden Ticket contest is announced.
Scene Four: Evening, news of Augustus and Veruca
Scene Five: Charlie's birthday, no luck, news of Violet
Scene Six: Evening, news of Mike, Charlie is despondent
SONG: "If Your Mother Were Here"
Scene Seven: The Dump, Charlie finds the stray money, buys chocolate bar, gets ticket
Scene Eight: The Bucket Shack, Charlie announces find, Grandparents get out of bed, Joe is chosen to go with Charlie
SONG: "Don't Ya Pinch Me Charlie"
Scene Nine: The Factory Gates, the winners arrive, Wonka is revealed
SONG: "It Must Be Believed to Be Seen"
Scene Ten: The Main Hall
SONG: "Strike That! Reverse It!"
Scene Eleven: The Chocolate Room, Wonka explains purpose and Augustus meets his downfall
SONG: "Simply Second Nature"
SONG: "Auf Wiedersehen Augustus Gloop"
Scene Twelve: The Boat Ride, tunnel/roller-coaster
Scene Thirteen: The Inventing Room, Wonka gives children Everlasting Gobstoppers, Violet meets her downfall
SONG: "Juicy!"
Scene Fourteen: Corridor Run
Scene Fifteen: The Nut Room, Veruca's downfall
SONG: "Veruca's Nutcracker Suite"
Scene Sixteen: The Department of the Future/Television Chocolate, Mike's downfall
SONG: "Vidiots"
Scene Sixteen: The Imagining Room, Charlie's test
Scene Seventeen: The Great Glass Elevator, Wonka gives Charlie his factory
SONG: "Pure Imagination"
Scene Eighteen: Finale, the family moves in to the factory, Wonka goes out into the world
SONG: "It Must Be Believed to Be Seen (reprise)"
And there we have it -- my vision for a Disney animated version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! What do you guys think?
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