Wonka Had Its Very Own Chocolatier On Set

If you're going to make a film set in the world of Willy Wonka then you damn well better get the fringe benefit of eating an unhealthy amount of chocolate. Paul King ("Paddington") found himself behind the camera for a prequel to the story we all know, based on Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and he made sure that not only was there plenty of real chocolate used in making the movie but that he had a professional on hand to provide the tasty treats.

That's right, he had his own chocolatier on hand. Chatting with People, King mentioned that they hired a chocolatier for the express purpose of helping the actors actually enjoy eating the chocolate you see them eating in the film. As he said:

"They tasted much better than they needed to because obviously, actors are good at pretending things, but the miracle was they tasted every bit as good as they looked."

Most actors will tell you that eating scenes in films are awful. The food is made to look good, not necessarily taste good, and when you're filming, say, a dinner scene all day ... that means a whole lot of chewing of not-good food. 

Anticipating this being an issue on a film about the most famous fictional chocolate maker of all time was a smart move by King, but I suspect he had an ulterior motive: he wanted to eat that chocolate.

And eat it he did. In that very same interview, King said, perhaps jokingly, perhaps not, that he might have gained 50 pounds while making this movie from all the chocolate he consumed during the production. As for his star, Timothée Chalamet is apparently not only a talented superstar on the rise, but his metabolism is nearly supernatural. King explained: 

"It's a miracle that Timmy remains so slim and handsome. I'm trying to fatten him up, but it's hard to do."

Those two weren't the only ones taking advantage of their very own chocolatier on set. King inferred the cast and crew consumed a "great deal" of chocolate while making the movie, something he says "is a wonderful thing." Hear, hear, I say. Did anybody who grew up with either the 1971 original or even the Tim Burton remake not dream of eating those scrumdiddlyumptious treats on screen? If you had the power to have your own chocolate maker on hand you would totally take advantage of that, too.

So, good on King for doing the right thing and using real, honest-to-God delicious chocolate to make his "Wonka" flick. We'll know how well he did on December 15, 2023, when the film hits screens. I'm not sure the world was clamoring for a Willy Wonka prequel, but I wouldn't bet against the guy who made both "Paddington" films into modern family classics. Especially since we now know he respects the sweet tooth.