Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

When Roald Dahl drafted his scrumdidilyumptious 1964 tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory he offered a golden ticket to Hollywood movie makers who turned the story line into not one, but two hit film adaptations. Although the first film originally received lukewarm approval from audience — and Dahl himself was reportedly unimpressed — several years later, thanks to regular television airings, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory became a family fave. The author was dead by the time the 2005 film hit box offices, which is a shame because we wonder what he would have thought of Johnny Depp’s creepy portrayal of the candy man.
Harry Potter

Perhaps one of the hardest parts of director Chris Columbus’ job in adapting the beloved Harry Potter series to the big screen was in casting its young stars. If he chose wisely, he would have a protagonist capable of anchoring the eight films based on J.K. Rowling’s seven books. If he chose poorly, millions of loyal fans may have written off the films entirely. Luckily, he struck gold in Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione). But then again, so did the then-unknown kids who now rank among the world’s most famous — and highly paid — actors.




























