Squirrels Performed Veruca's Nut-Room Scene

Instead of relying entirely on CGI for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), director Tim Burton used 40 real rescue squirrels for Veruca Salt’s nut-room scene. Trainers spent 19 weeks teaching them to sit on stools, crack walnuts, and place the kernels on a conveyor belt. The American Humane Association required backup squirrels for each main performer so that no individual animal would be overworked, although CGI and animatronics were still used for some shots.

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