Hugh Grant stars as an Oompa Loompa in the Willy Wonka prequel

The Oompa Loompas have been controversial as author Roald Dahl originally wrote that they hailed from the jungles of Africa. The diminutive characters were depicted as African Pygmies in the original artwork.

Dahl changed the appearance of the Oompa Loompas in later editions as groups raised concerns about slavery overtone. The 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory also cast actors with dwarfism as Oompa Loompas, but they were portrayed to have green hair and orange skin and have since been decried as offensive. Deep Roy starred as an Oompa Loompa in Tim Burton's 2005 movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory alongside Johnny Depp.

The casting of Grant as a tiny CGI version of himself may be the filmmaker's attempt to avoid controversies.

Wonka stars Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka

alongside an ensemble cast including Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Mathew Baynton, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, Tom Davis, Simon Farnaby, Rich Fulcher, Sally Hawkins, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Paterson Joseph, Keegan-Michael Key, Calah Lane, Matt Lucas, Colin O'Brien, Natasha Rothwell, and Ellie White.

The upcoming prequel will be directed by Paul King with the screenplay being written by Simon Farnaby and King.

Wonka is coming to theaters on December 15.

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is Hugh Grant's role in the upcoming Wonka movie?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Hugh Grant will be playing a CGI-rendered Oompa Loompa in the upcoming Wonka movie. The character is described as sassy and may prove to be a scene-stealer in the film." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is Wonka scheduled for release?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Wonka is scheduled for release on December 15, 2023." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Who are the other cast members in the Wonka movie?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The cast of Wonka includes Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka, Rowan Atkinson, Mathew Baynton, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, Tom Davis, Simon Farnaby, Rich Fulcher, Sally Hawkins, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Paterson Joseph, Keegan-Michael Key, Calah Lane, Matt Lucas, Colin O'Brien, Natasha Rothwell, and Ellie White." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Who is directing and writing the screenplay for Wonka?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Wonka is directed by Paul King, with the screenplay written by Simon Farnaby and Paul King." } } ] }