{"id":41030,"date":"2023-12-04T11:41:32","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T10:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1938197"},"modified":"2023-12-04T13:01:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T12:01:27","slug":"wonka-director-reacts-to-hugh-grants-biting-sarcastic-oompa-loompa","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/wonka-director-reacts-to-hugh-grants-biting-sarcastic-oompa-loompa\/","title":{"rendered":"Wonka director reacts to Hugh Grant\u2019s \u2018biting, sarcastic\u2019 Oompa Loompa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul King and co-writer Simon Farnaby spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the film. <\/p>

By James Hibbs\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 04 December 2023 at 10:41 AM<\/p>

\n\n

New Willy Wonka prequel film Wonka<\/a> releases in cinemas this week, and while most of the focus is understandably on Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2019s young Wonka<\/a>, there are a host of major stars in supporting roles.<\/p>\n

One of these is Hugh Grant, who is shrunk down in the film and plays an Oompa Loompa, seen in the trailer trading barbs with Wonka after he attempts to steal his chocolate.<\/p>\n

RadioTimes.com<\/a> caught up exclusively with the film\u2019s director and co-writer Paul King, as well as co-writer Simon Farnaby, and asked where the idea for casting Grant came from and when it first appeared to them.<\/p>\n

King said: \u201cThat was pretty early. I mean, obviously, the Oompa Loompas don\u2019t have any dialogue in the book, really, and the films, they\u2019ve sort of got very little.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut in the book they do have these very, very long songs \u2013 or they\u2019re presented as songs, they\u2019re poems.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they\u2019re so funny, and I was reading them sort of trying to get a voice in my head, and they\u2019re so sort of biting and sarcastic and scornful and incredibly funny, and Hugh\u2019s voice just kept coming towards me.\u201d<\/p>\n