Tim Burton Used Real Trained Squirrels, Not CGI

When Tim Burton set out to remake Roald Dahl's beloved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005, he faced a peculiar challenge: the nut-sorting room. In this scene, Veruca Salt meets her comeuppance at the paws of Willy Wonka's quality-control squirrels, who determine she's a "bad nut" and send her down the garbage chute.

Most directors would have immediately reached for CGI. Burton went a different route entirely.

Training an Army of Rodents

Animal trainer Michael Alexander and his team spent approximately 19 weeks training around 40 squirrels for the production. The training process was meticulous—each squirrel learned to sit on a small stool, pick up a nut, tap it against the surface to check if it was hollow, and either crack it open or discard it.

The squirrels worked in shifts, with different animals performing different parts of the sequence. Some were "hero squirrels" trained for close-up work, while others appeared in wider shots.

Why Not Just Use Computers?

Burton has always had an affinity for practical effects. His filmography—from Beetlejuice to Edward Scissorhands—demonstrates a preference for tangible, in-camera solutions whenever possible. For the nut room, he believed real squirrels would bring an authenticity that animation couldn't match.

The result proved him right. Watch the scene closely and you'll notice the subtle variations in how each squirrel moves and reacts—imperfections that make the sequence feel genuinely alive rather than digitally manufactured.

That said, the production did employ some CGI enhancement:

• The number of squirrels was digitally multiplied to fill the massive set
• Some complex movements were augmented
• The attack on Veruca Salt used a combination of real squirrels and digital effects

The Logistics Were Nuts

Training squirrels presented unique challenges. Unlike dogs or horses, squirrels aren't naturally inclined to follow human commands. The trainers used positive reinforcement with food rewards, slowly building up each behavior over months.

The set itself had to be squirrel-proofed to prevent escapes, and filming schedules revolved around the animals' attention spans—squirrels can only focus for short periods before becoming distracted or tired.

A Testament to Practical Filmmaking

The nut room sequence remains one of the most memorable moments in Burton's adaptation, precisely because it feels so tangibly real. In an era where CGI can create anything imaginable, there's something refreshing about a director who chose to spend months training rodents instead.

The scene stands as proof that sometimes the old ways—patience, creativity, and a lot of hazelnuts—produce results that no computer can quite replicate.