Warner Bros.' 'Wonka' film faces backlash over Oompa Loompa casting

In Warner Bros.' upcoming film "Wonka," featuring Timothée Chalamet as the titular candymaker, there has been some controversy surrounding the casting of Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa. 

George Coppen, a 26-year-old actor with dwarfism known for roles in Disney+'s Willow series and Netflix's The School for Good and Evil, expressed his displeasure during an interview with the BBC, published on Wednesday. He shared, “ we feel like we are being pushed out of the industry we love.”

Coppen emphasized the need for more opportunities for actors with dwarfism, stating, “A lot of people, myself included, argue that dwarfs should be offered everyday roles in dramas and soaps, but we aren’t getting offered those roles. One door is being closed, but they have forgotten to open the next one.”

The actor also raised issues with the portrayal of Grant's character, the Oompa Loompa, in the film. He pointed out, “They’ve enlarged his head so his head looks bigger. [I thought,] ‘what the hell have you done to him’?”

Directed by Paul King, "Wonka" serves as a prequel to the 1971 movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," which is based on Roald Dahl's 1964 novel, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The recently released trailer features Chalamet's Willy Wonka as an aspiring chocolatier engaging with Grant's Oompa Loompa, who appears trapped in a glass case.

The cast of "Wonka" includes Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, and Olivia Colman. The film is set to hit theaters on December 15th.