Michael Jackson Was Upset After Being Rejected For A Tim Burton Movie

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Although Tim Burton's 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" isn't deeply beloved — anyone you ask will say they prefer Mel Stuart's 1971 adaptation, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," much better — it was nonetheless a massive success. It was made for a hefty $150 million, but earned an impressive $476 million at the box office, taking most everyone by surprise. It was also better-reviewed than detractors may remember, fetching an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "Charlie" was colorful and semi-surreal, utilizing extensive CGI to realize a nightmare carnival rendition of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Deep Roy played hundreds of Oompa-Loompas, and Danny Elfman wrote music for Dahl's original songs, printed in his original 1964 novel.

Johnny Depp played the unusual, reclusive, childlike Willy Wonka, deliberately evoking Carol Channing (in vocal inflection) and inadvertently channeling Michael Jackson (in demeanor). Depp's performance is vaguely off-putting, but one cannot argue that it isn't striking. 

And it seems that Michael Jackson himself was once sniffing around Warner Bros., hoping to play Willy Wonka. Indeed, Jackson evidently petitioned Warner Bros. so aggressively, it resulted in a full-length "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" concept album that has, as of this writing, never seen the light of day. One can see why Jackson would want to play Willy Wonka, as he sort of lived the Wonka lifestyle in real life, owning his own amusement park, the Neverland Ranch, where he and his young guests would never have to grow up. (The 2005 film was made after Jackson had already been accused multiple times of molesting young children.)

Jackson's assertive courting of Willy Wonka is detailed in Randall Sullivan's 2012 biography "Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson." 

The 2005 version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was in development for many, many years. As many fans know, Roald Dahl wasn't very fond of Mel Stuart's 1971 movie. A remake had been on the drawing board since Dahl's death in 1990, but his estate was so persnickety about remaining true to the source material that a film wasn't put together for many years. Gary Ross, Nicolas Cage, Martin Scorsese, Jim Carry, Tom Shadyac, and Scott Frank were all involved in production along the way. The project wouldn't begin to gel in earnest until about 2003. 

While Hollywood was playing musical chairs with "Charlie" — maybe around the year 2000 — Jackson began to take notice. He seemingly felt a kinship with Willy Wonka, and felt he was perfect. About that time, Tim Burton was already circling the movie, and Jackson wanted to work with the director. Burton, of course, had worked with pop stars before, usually hiring former Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman to write the bulk of his film's scores. He also worked with Prince on 1989's "Batman," so chart-topping pop hits were not alien to the director.

Jackson reached out to Warner Bros., asking to play Wonka, thinking he and Burton would work well together. He was so eager to play the role, Jackson decided to sweeten the deal by writing an entire album of songs as an extra "gift." Warner Bros. could have both Jackson and a potential hit soundtrack album. 

Warner Bros. loved the soundtrack, and even offered Jackson however much money he wanted for it. They also, however, instantly turned down his request to play Willy Wonka. Because of the sexual abuse allegations, Warner Bros. felt it would be unwise to cast Jackson in a children's film, where he'd be on screen with multiple kids. This is perfectly wise. 

Jackson was never able to move into acting the way he would have wanted. Legend has it that Jackson took acting lessons from Marlon Brando, hoping to become a film personality as well as a passive pop star. When Jackson was first accused of sexual abuse in 1993, however, his public image changed. He was always seen as a "weird" guy, with humorists and comedians often mocking his strange pets and collections, and the allegations only fed the media frenzy. Jackson was eventually acquitted of all charges in court, but his career was never quite the same. His 2001 album "Invincible" wasn't nearly as successful as his previous records. Playing Willy Wonka, in addition to being a passion project, may have served as a comeback. 

Warner Bros. rejected Jackson, offering him a cameo role instead. Jackson was insulted by the offer, and immediately withdrew his record. If Jackson couldn't play Willy Wonka, then Warner Bros. couldn't have his music. For his part, Burton has said that he only ever considered Depp for the role, as the director and actor had already worked together on multiple projects. 

This means, of course, that there is a whole unheard Michael Jackson album out there, somewhere in a vault, that has never been released. The soundtrack is even listed on the Lost Media Wiki. It seems unlikely that it will ever be released, but time will tell. 

Meanwhile, Depp himself ventually became problematic in the eyes of the public after a very messy, public trial wherein he was accused of abuse by his ex-wife Amber Heard. Warner Bros. didn't like the idea of Jackson being in a kids' movie, but the studio ultimately still ended up with a film that stars an alleged abuser.