Quote: zooo @ 26th July 2016, 10:31 AM BSTOh god, I'm so glad Gene Wilder got it. I love him in the part, and Spike has always scared the bejesus out of me.
The way I read it the director insisted on Gene Wilder, saying that Spike was too manic (er.....yes), but then Wilder (ironic?) could lay it on thick if he had to - I'm thinking of the excellent going off his head when he thought he had lost his comfort blanket in The Producers.
Whatever, Roald Dahl was not happy at all about it and now that all seems terribly ironic what with Wilder severely slamming Tim Burton's update starring Johnny Depp in the part.