Hundreds of fans gathered for the UK premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, hoping to catch a glimpse of the film's many stars strolling down the red carpet. They arrived at Leicester Square park to find the place transformed into a replica of the chocolate room from Willy Wonka's factory. Candy cane swirls hung from the trees, bright green grass stretched out around them, and several signs from Willy Wonka himself announced the coming of 5 Golden Tickets. Every member of the film's cast turned up on this glorious, sunny day.

Freddie Highmore (Charlie Bucket), the co-star of this film with Johnny Depp, gushed about how cool the factory was: �the 50-foot waterfall and the chocolate room, and the boat going down the river. I probably liked the inventing room best.�

Why did Tim Burton decide to use real trained squirrels and an actual chocolate river in place of CG? Wouldn't that have been so much easier? �Our main goal was to go back and try to capture the spirit of the book,� Burton explained. A bit rushed on the red carpet, he elaborated further on this point at the press conference: � It's really nice to have real fake grass! We were very lucky to be able to build sets. I mean that was one of the things that was important to me just because it's a movie about texture, that's what I remember from the original book - the feeling and the descriptions and the textures. So it was important for us to kind of have them be real and not be stuck in a blue room for six months.�

None of the actors had a bad word to say about Burton. Even Christopher Lee (Willy Wonka's father), who has worked with an enormous range of directors in his long career, told me that Tim Burton was his favourite one to work with. I asked him to explain why: � Because he's a great visionary, and he has an incredible imagination, and there's this wave of enthusiasm that comes hurtling out from behind the camera with every single shot you do. Everything. You get a reaction from him. If you do it again, you do it again, but if you get it right the first time that's it. I hope it won't be the last time I work with Tim or Johnny or both.�

David Kelly (Grandpa Joe) elaborated on why he enjoys working with Burton so much. �He makes life very easy. He doesn't pass on any of his worries which must go on making a film of this enormity.� And what about Johnny Depp? �Johnny's a love and a gifted artist. It was a privilege to play with him. He's not just a movie star, he's a bloody good actor. And the two don't automatically go together. But Johnny is a fine creative artist.� Kelly also took the time to praise the films' sets: �It was a wonderful, hand made, hand painted set �.You'll never see scenery like that in a movie again. It'll all be blue screen and trick photography. That was hand made. And heaven.�

The one obviously CG trick in the film is the multiplication of actor Deep Roy into a thousand Oompa-Loompas. How did he like acting in the required pvc suit? �I sweated my bollocks off in there let me tell you, they had to change me every 20 minutes.� Deep Roy kept us laughing for a while, only to be followed by another hilarious actress: Missi Pyle (Mrs. Beauregarde). As the first part of her answer to my question was drowned out by the screaming of hundreds of fans at the arrival of Johnny Depp, she joked �I don't know who it could be either that would evoke such screams of pleasure� although I had a hard time not making those sounds myself every day on set!� Christopher Lee couldn't get over Missi Pyle either. Approaching me, he asked �Who was that woman? She's as tall as I am!� and then turned around to introduce himself.

Johnny Depp himself, in his usual down-to-earth fashion, spent his entire time on the red carpet signing autographs and talking with fans. But fortunately I'd had a chance to talk to him the day before at the press conference, and I asked him what it was like having collaborated with Burton on 5 films now (if you include the forthcoming Corpse Bride) : � There's kind of a built in language from having had other experiences together before, having explored other stories and characters before. So, it's great for me. Working with Tim is like arriving home. It's a very comfortable place for me.�

And for Helena Bonham Carter, of course I had to ask her what it was like working for her husband (Tim Burton): �He's always affectionate, and it was really nice to see him, actually, during the day.� Was she always happy to work with him? �Oh yeah, he's a brilliant filmmaker, apart from the fact that it's convenient from a family point of view.�

6 Degrees film had a chance to speak to the four �naughty' children from the film first. Anna Sophia Robb (Violet Beauregarde) said �It wasn't necessarily the competitiveness� that made the part difficult to play, �it was mostly the chewing gum!� As for being a brat? �I thought it was fun because I've never played a mean character before.�

All of the children loved being in the film, even in their difficult scenes. I asked Philip Wiegratz about his swim in the chocolate river, �It was a little bit disgusting, but it was a lot of fun for me.� And how did Julia Winter (Veruca Salt) like being covered in all those squirrels? Well, it turns out for that particular moment in the scene it was her stunt double and not her, but she told me, �I liked the squirrels, I got to hold a baby one that was very cute.� As for Jordan Fry (Mike Teavee), the one child new to the big screen, his dream in life is not to be an actor. What is his dream? �I'll probably get into professional soccer sometime if I get good enough.� Too bad he didn't have a chance to chat with young Brooklyn Beckham, who also took a stroll past the children into the theater.

Unfortunately Felicity Dahl (Roald Dahl's widow), who worked as executive producer on the film, did not attend the premiere. But this film certainly resembles the book far more closely in its tone and humor than the 1971 Gene Wilder version Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I loved the original film as a child, and was therefore curious to see how they would top it in this version. But this film is certainly not a remake of that one. Both Freddie Highmore and Deep Roy told me they were instructed not to watch the original film before working on this one (since they hadn't seen it already).

The spirit of the two films differ greatly, and of the two I'm certain Roald Dahl would have preferred this one. For me, it brought one of my favorite childhood novels to life, and even went further by attempting to give some explanation for how Willy Wonka became the eccentric man he is. The cast couldn't stop raving about what an incredible experience it has been, and I have to say watching the film was just as enjoyable.