10 Upcoming Movies That Are Causing Huge Controversy
7. Wonka
Beyond the debate about whether a Willy Wonka prequel "needs" to exist, there was considerable backlash to the reveal that Hugh Grant will be playing an Oompa-Loompa, a role typically played by dwarf actors in both prior adaptations of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Many, both within the dwarf community and not, felt that casting a non-dwarf actor in the iconic role was effectively taking the part away from a dwarf actor, given the limited acting opportunities generally afforded to them in Hollywood.
Others also complained that Grant's head had been digitally enlarged out of scale with the rest of his CGI body, which some interpreted as mocking dwarfs.
On the flip-side, some have opined that Grant's casting isn't problematic because Oompa-Loompas aren't in fact dwarfs - casting little people has simply been the traditionally simplest way to approximate their physical stature.
And more to the point, Grant brings a very specific quality to this part which lesser-known dwarf actors likely wouldn't.
All the same, it's easy to appreciate why dwarf actors feel that they're being wronged in a franchise which has typically welcomed them.