Yes, yes, it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Gabriella Cugno was tasked with the rather challenging job of actually cooking up the chocolate showcased in the film, including one that gets a special shout-out in the official trailer for director Paul King’s “Wonka” — the Hover-choc which, in an obvious homage to the Fizzy Lifting Drink from “Chocolate Factory,” causes those who consume it to float. While the actual candy doesn’t quite have that magical property (at least, we don’t think so), Cugno explained to Total Film that the intricate design of this treat required some pretty hefty attention to detail and a lot of tireless work. As she put it:
“I made around 900 of those. And they’re so intricate. These have to be the best chocolates ever. So for the Hover-choc, there were four different parts that made up the body and wings. There’s two wings, and about 20 holes per Hover-choc, and about 30 tiny, little dots. In the holes, I painted them gold. So all of this really time-consuming, handmade detail is in 900 of these. Some other chocolates, I would only be able to make 30 because they take so long.”
How long are we talking about, exactly? The chocolatier went on to detail one such moment when King asked her to make a particular bit of candy … and she was only able to return two hours later, with a grand total of four chocolates. Filling the role of chocolatier on a major Hollywood production might seem like a glamorous title, but never forget that quite a lot of hard work went into every tasty treat that Wonka and other characters pop into their mouths.
“Wonka” is scheduled to release in theaters on December 15, 2023.
