Sweeter than fiction! All the sweets in the latest Wonka film were edible, the director reveals – after the cast of the 1971 classic had to put up with ‘stinky’ and ‘disgusting’ fake chocolate

Every sweet consumed in the latest Willy Wonka film can actually be eaten, the director has revealed – and there was even a full-time chocolatier on set.

Speaking to Radio Times, as reported by the TelegraphPaul King, who also worked on the beloved Paddington films, revealed that ‘everything consumed in the film is edible and tasty, even the flowers and leaves’.

Wonka – which is released in the UK on December 8 – explores the origin story behind Roald Dahl’s beloved, crazy title character.

And Mr King said an expert was on hand to ensure that – unlike previous adaptations in which actors later said they were working with a fake “stinky” and “disgusting” chocolate river – the candies in the film were just as good taste like they look.

Gabriella Cugno – a high-end pastry chef and chocolatier – lent her talents to bring the fantastic creations in the film to life.

Mr. King talked about a moment when he felt inspired by the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

“One day something amazing happened on set. “I thought of the part where Gene Wilder eats a teacup,” he said.

‘And I thought, “Oh, if I’d only thought of this, we could have a chocolate cup that Willy could make.”

With just an hour to go before they had to start filming, an ‘unfazed’ Gabriella produced ‘half a dozen perfect little cups and saucers made from what looked like various blue leaves’.

Mr King was also full of praise for her ‘hoverchocs’ – which make people fly in the film. The chocolatier created between 700 and 900 sweets for the film.

Speaking in the past Entertainment weeklyMs. Cugno shared how she and Mr. King brainstormed ideas for the candy.

‘I showed at the first show and tell [Mr King] about ten different chocolates from the script, but I would make maybe five different variations of one chocolate,” she explained.

‘One of the variations would be a very crazy version or a very soft version. I would look at Paul and what is he leaning towards in this particular scene?

‘Every chocolate is so different. I would slowly understand what his vision is.”

The dedication to edible chocolates comes as cast members from the 1971 adaptation have opened up in the past about the “disgusting” chocolate river used in the film.

Michael Bollner – who played Augustus Gloop – told the story Polygon in 2021: ‘It wasn’t actually chocolate. It was terribly cold. It was stinking water! And it was all day, jumping in and out, and walking around with wet clothes.”

Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) called the river “disgusting stuff that had been there for three weeks.”

She added: ‘It had lights on it and people were drinking the remains of their coffee cups in it.’

According to PEOPLEGene Wilder himself said that “about a third” of the candies consumed on set were actually edible.

However, the infamous tea cup scene where he chews was made of wax – and the actor had to bravely chew on it until the shot was finished.

Answering fan questions about Reddit nine years ago, Paris Themmen – who played Mike Teevee – said that ‘generally if we ate it on film it was real, and if not, it was fake’.

He added, “The gummy bears in the Pure Imagination room were mostly plastic with a gummy ear. This is an example of how they did it.”

However, Paris also revealed that they ate “several types of candy on set.”

“My favorite sweet was actually the ‘chewing gum’ that Violet eats which is a three-course meal,” he shared on social media.

‘That wasn’t actually chewing gum, but a very tasty toffee-based candy. It was used in close-ups, so they didn’t have many, and after I ate a few I asked for a third, but they wouldn’t give it to me.”

Writing in Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, director Mel Stuart also praised Harper Goff for creating the artistic vision behind the film, saying, “Harper and his team covered the grounds with a fantastic carpet of brightly colored shapes containing candy.

‘There were giant mushrooms filled with whipped cream, chocolate trees and many other treats.’

Meanwhile, according to MetaflixIn the 2005 Tim Burton film – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Nestle provided 1,850 real chocolate bars, like the one in which the children find their golden tickets.

The company also gave away 110,000 knockoffs for the factory-making scene.

The special effects company that worked on the design of the infamous chocolate river – Vickers Laboratories – also talked about the process.

Speak with Chemistry WorldCEO Julian Driver explained how 1.25 million liters of artificial chocolate were needed for the business.

“Hydroxyethylcellulose is a gelling agent that causes the water to thicken,” he added.

‘By varying the amounts of this material, we were able to control the viscosity of the final product.’

Julian continued: ‘We were asked to secure it for six weeks, and filming lasted twelve weeks – so towards the end we put all kinds of biocides in it to keep it from spoiling… All they asked for was that it would become rancid. !’

Willy Wonka’s origin story – based on Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – opens in UK theaters on December 8 and US theaters on December 15.

Wonka also features Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant and newcomer Calah Lane.

Timothy earned $9 million to play the titular character after beating out Tom Holland, Donald Glover, Ezra Miller and Ryan Gosling for the role.

The eccentric genius, who enjoyed punishing naughty children, was memorably created by Gene Wilder in Mel Stuart’s 1971 film beloved classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.