Dark Theory Claims Willy Wonka Is Performing The Cabin In The Woods Ritual

One popular theory suggests that Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is actually the story of the titular chocolatier performing the ritual from The Cabin in the Woods. Based on Roald Dahl’s children’s book, 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory follows the eponymous confectioner as he takes five contest winners on a tour around his magical factory. An iconic and beloved family film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has now been entertaining audiences for over five decades.

Despite its colorful and supposedly family-friendly nature, Willy Wonka is considered a gateway horror movie by some. This is because almost all of the lucky contest winners who are given unprecedented access to Wonka’s factory each meet an unpleasant end during the tour. Over the course of the film, the children are whittled down by traps set for them until only one remains: Charlie, who Wonka then announces as his successor.

Interestingly, the events of the film share a remarkable number of parallels with another more overt horror movie, The Cabin in the Woods. Everything that the latter film establishes as part of its Ancient gods-appeasing ritual fits perfectly within Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory‘s story: the role that each of the five children plays, and the added context of the ritual, all gels well with Willy Wonka. These parallels not only draw similarities between the family film and The Cabin in the Woods’ horror, but paint Wonka’s factory tour as a carefully planned instance of the ritual sacrifice intended to appease the Ancient Ones.

How Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Fits The Cabin In The Woods’ Premise

The Cabin in the Woods spends much of its story establishing an airtight premise regarding the ritual. The ideas all fit squarely with horror movie archetypes, including each victim filling a specific role, the sacrifices choosing the manner of their deaths, and an order to the deaths. These are all things that fit near-perfectly within Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory‘s story.

The rules established by The Cabin in the Woods – including the order – are all adhered to. Though the children in Willy Wonka only loosely fit the character archetypes, Cabin in the Woods has an answer for that too: the organization explains that the victims’ roles are open to loose interpretation, leaving plenty of room for this theory. Though Willy Wonka lacks The Cabin in the Woods‘ monsters, every other aspect of its ritual is followed practically to the letter.

Augustus Gloop Is “The Whore”

As in The Cabin in the Woods, the first to die must be “the Whore.” As Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory concerns young children, this is more loosely interpreted, but Augustus Gloop’s obvious gluttony seems to fit the bill. As the boy is unable to resist his lust for chocolate and gives in to his impulses, he best fits the Whore archetype. Though it’s a relatively loose fit, Gloop being the first to die seems to confirm his role as Willy Wonka‘s version of the Whore within the theory.

Violet Beauregard Is “The Athlete”

In accordance with The Cabin in the Woods‘ ritual, “the Athlete” is the next to die. After Augustus Gloop’s death and Willy Wonka‘s infamously disturbing tunnel scene, Violet Beauregard is the next victim of Wonka’s tour. The quality that makes Violet best fit this archetype is that she is shown to be competitive (she was a champion gum-chewer), and her arrogant tendencies are ultimately what causes her death. This draws parallels with the death of Chris Hemsworth’s Kurt in The Cabin in the Woods, making Violet Beauregard a clear fit for the Athlete archetype.

Veruca Salt Is “The Fool”

Following Violet’s demise, Willy Wonka’s next victim is Veruca Salt. Though she shares few similarities with her Cabin in the Woods counterpart, she still fits the archetype of “the Fool.” Though Veruca isn’t hunted by The Cabin in the Woods‘ monsters like Marty, her own foolishness does cause her death. After being told not to approach the squirrels working in Wonka’s factory, Violet’s pigheadedness prompts her to do so anyway, despite the explicit warning she is given not to. That her death was so utterly senseless is evidence of her foolishness, as she opted not to entertain Wonka’s warning, making her the Fool.

Mike Teavee Is “The Scholar”

The last victim of Wonka’s tour is Mike Teavee, a technology-obsessed child whose knowledge of TV or video game trivia (depending on which version of the story) is far beyond his years. Another loose fit, Mike falls into the archetype of “the Scholar” mostly just for his intellectually-driven pursuits. After all, his love of technology and excitement about the capabilities of Willy Wonka’s factory proves to be a mistake. This puts Mike in the role of the Scholar, particularly as he’s the last to die before the film’s ending.

Charlie Is “The Virgin”

The only victim whose survival of the ritual is optional is “the Virgin,” a role undoubtedly taken by young Charlie Bucket. Charlie’s innocence is the clearest indicator of this role, but also the temptation he faces in the film. As he is tempted to transgress but ultimately chooses not to, he’s spared by the ritual, and he is allowed to live. The Virgin is always supposed to be the last victim standing, and their temptation is needed before the Scholar can die (which works, as Teavee died after Charlie’s incident with the Fizzy Lifting Drinks). This paints Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as a successful iteration of the ritual, which is perhaps its biggest overall difference from The Cabin in the Woods‘ ending, which is decidedly less happy.

Was Willy Wonka Sacrificing The Children?

One of the most notable pieces of evidence for this theory also comes in the form of a well-known piece of potential proof that Wonka did indeed intend to murder the children all along. As the tour progresses, the vehicles provided have the exact number of seats needed, meaning that Wonka accounted for the deaths along the way. With the added context of The Cabin in the Woods‘ ritual fitting the plot almost exactly, it would seem entirely plausible that Wonka was really a servant of the Ancient Ones.

Though the notion that the two stories were intended to be linked is ludicrous, the parallels between the ritual and Wonka’s tour seem more than coincidental. As each character fits one of the archetypes, and all of the rules of the ritual were adhered to, it appears that the comparison between Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory‘s story and The Cabin in the Woods’ may well prove the theory. As the ritual was exacted perfectly, it would seem that Wonka was able to keep the Ancient Ones appeased for at least another year.