Double Take: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & The Witches

It’s the ultimate Roald Dahl Double Take, with Tim Burton’s 2005 whimsical adventure,

It’s the ultimate Roald Dahl Double Take, with Tim Burton’s 2005 whimsical adventure, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, and ‘90s cult classic The Witches. See the pages come to life with these weird and wonderful adaptations, from one of the greatest children’s authors of all time.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)

What is the plot of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory?

Take an unforgettable, uniquely magical journey through director Tim Burton's deliciously delightful, whimsically wonderful world of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. When eccentric candy man Willy Wonka promises a lifetime supply of sweets and a tour of his chocolate factory to five lucky kids, penniless Charlie Bucket seeks the priceless golden ticket that will make him a winner. After a few false starts and some luck on his side, Charlie manages to get his hands on one of the prized golden tickets… but a far more wonderful surprise awaits him. In a land of chocolate waterfalls, giant lollipops, edible flowers and, of course, Oompa Loompas, it's nonstop, mouth-watering fun in the timeless fantasy Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

Why We Love Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Much like the beloved ‘70s adaptation Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder, this too brings to life the whimsy of Roald Dahl’s classic 1964 children’s novel. This time a new take on the world of chocolate, Tim Burton puts his signature imaginative spin on the tale. We love seeing all of the marvellously sweet inventions Wonka has made in the factory, and the Oompa Loompa’s musical numbers always entertain.

With Burton’s regular collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (the trio went on to collaborate on further projects like Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Corpse Bride, and Dark Shadows) taking on two of the iconic roles. Depp brings a unique, quirky angle to the aloof chocolatier, a performance that has been remembered for decades and cemented as a part of pop culture.

The film achieves an effortless integration of practical sets and CGI enhancement. From real squirrels on set, to an entire chocolate room constructed at Pinewood Studios, the world feels tangibly alive due to the incredible work of the practical effects teams bringing the vision to life. With the film celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, the magic of the world still feels as fresh and enchanting to this day.

Watch the 10 Minute Preview here.

The Witches (1990)

What is the plot of The Witches?

Anjelica Huston stars in this fantasy based on a Roald Dahl book about a little boy and his kindly grandmother thwarting a coven of witches who want to rid Britain of children by turning them into mice. Vacationing at a seaside hotel with his grandmother, a young boy discovers that a convention of witches is also staying there and finds out about the evil plans of their Grand High Witch (Huston). Jim Henson devised the creature effects in his last film.

Watch the trailer here.

Why We Love The Witches

A mystifying tale of punished cruelty, rewarded bravery and the defeat of evil, this nostalgic ‘90s classic is perfect for a spooky family film night. An iconic story, it has even inspired a re-imagined take by director Robert Zemeckis in 2020, starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci, showing just how this story resonates with every generation.

Our femme fatale, the Grand High Witch is played by none other than Anjelica Huston, who could not be a better example of a perfect casting as she embodies one of films’ most memorable villains. Huston is no stranger to commanding such authority on screen, as her renowned portrayal of Morticia Addams in The Addams Family (1991) exudes a similar blend of elegance, dark charisma, and magnetic presence.

Eagle-eyed viewers might notice another familiar face in the supporting cast with Rowan Atkinson (also in Scooby-Doo! The Movie and Wonka) as Mr. Stringer, the hotel manager.

What is similar about Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and The Witches?

Following a bookish theme, both titles are adapted from classic Roald Dahl tales, and in true Roald Dahl fashion, these films give us weird and wonderful characters, unique storylines and valuable moral lessons about greed, kindness, and courage.

What makes these films so special is their shared special interest in practical effects. For The Witches, Jim Henson’s company (known for such creations for The Muppets, Sesame Street, Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal) designed and executed all the creatures’ practical effects to make them look realistic and deeply unsettling. For Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, the chocolate room itself was built at Pinewood Studios, creating a fully immersive, tactile world that allowed the actors to interact with their environment rather than rely on CGI.

What is different about Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and The Witches?

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is a whimsical story where children are invited to Wonka’s wonderful factory. For The Witches, children are anything but invited – the witches instead plan to rid the world of children and turn them all into mice.

These Roald Dahl tales may share the same author but differ tonally, as we’d feel lucky to be transported like the five winners to Wonka’s world of pure imagination, unlike in The Witches where it would be a nightmare to be hunted down by the titular characters of the story like our main character Luke is. The Witches has some playfully darker moments and scarier characters than Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’s fantastical fun.

Too for The Witches, the story contains an actual villain, the Grand High Witch, and her associates, centring the plot around defeating this evil force whereas Charlie And The Chocolate Factory focuses more on the moral lessons taught from how the misbehaving, spoilt children’s actions have consequences along the factory’s tour.

Ready to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Roald Dahl? Watch Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and The Witches here now.
If you want to explore more of our book adaptations, find our collection here.