3. Willy Wonka - Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Arguably a role tailor-made for him, Tim Burtons adaptation of Roald Dahls childrens classic Charlie And The Chocolate Factory was at one point going to be a Robin Williams vehicle. Perhaps thats why it fell through and Johnny Depp would step in, yet again Burton is famous for preferring the films he has a hand in to be Burton movies, and Burton movies alone. Depp was, as usual, Burtons first and only choice to play the role, and Burton was the only filmmaker that Dahls estate were completely happy with to tackle the film. They had been delighted with his work on the adaptation of James And The Giant Peach (although Burton only produced the film Henry Selick, the genius behind The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, directed). Given Burtons preferred status, as soon as he became attached to the project every other actor considered for the role was off it. A private man, Burton much prefers to enter into the mammoth process of creating a feature film with people that hes already familiar and comfortable with. Robin Williams, however, was by far the more natural choice to play Willy Wonka, the eccentric and possibly even disturbed reclusive genius behind the chocolate factory. Where Depp played the character as a weird amalgamation of game show host and guru, all plastic faced twitches, Williams would have brought the flair and character of the original novel to life: been more like a mad uncle.