A Willy Wonka superfan’s £150,000 ($192,543) world of pure imagination includes exclusive merchandise from the new movie ahead of its release.
Nick Anderton, 44, started collecting memorabilia from the film franchise in 2005 and now has around 2,500 items in his “Wonka Wing” at his home.
His collection features the handprints of Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film and he even has an original Wonka Bar from the 1971 version of the film.
And he has now been given merchandise from the new film – called “Wonka” – which will be released on December 15 and stars Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka.
Part of the film was shot in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, and features a boat Timothée travels on to capture Oompa-Loompas.
Nick, of Warrington, Cheshire, has already been on the boat and given sections of its rivet by the crew, so he thinks he’s the first person to have memorabilia from the new film.
“I’ve even been in a bit of the boat already and had a trip on it,” he said.
“I was taken into the basement of the boat where they filmed Timothée going up and down singing.
“I think he captures the Oompa-Loompas on the boat.
“I’m so excited they are using songs from the 1970 film because Gene Wilder is the ultimate one but Timothée does kinda look like a young Gene Wilder.
“If I was a big Hollywood producer and I had the rights to the story, I would be bringing out a film every ten years to get the new market in.
“I’m hoping for more.”
Nick decided to start collecting merchandise after he watched the 2005 film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which was directed by Tim Burton.
The attraction manager now has prints from the film, pencils, pencil cases, DVDs,
and over 200 versions of the book in different languages in his collection.
Nick, who runs Facebook group Willy Wonka fanatics, said: “I remember watching it when I was around seven or eight and liking the imagery of the film.
“She then explained that when I first met her at Comic Con, she said she would sell the bar to me one day because she knew I wouldn’t sell it.
“It was like she was giving me the keys to chocolate factory – it’s a great gift.
“She’s even signed me posters, huge 3D printed gobstoppers and golden eggs.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
