Netflix is taking viewers inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for a new reality competition series, with the first trailer offering a glimpse at the strange and colourful challenges contestants will face.
Wonka’s The Golden Ticket will see 12 Golden Ticket winners and their chosen partners compete against each other for what is described as Wonka’s “life-changing prize”.
The nine-episode series will begin streaming on Netflix on September 23.
The contestants will be placed inside a replica of Roald Dahl’s famous chocolate factory, where they will take part in challenges inspired by the world of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
The trailer features plenty of familiar touches from the original story, including lickable wallpaper and a huge Wonkavision set.
As contestants are eliminated, the competition becomes increasingly intense, with an unseen host guiding proceedings from the shadows.
The prize itself has not been fully revealed, although the trailer teases a “lifetime supply of money”.
One of the most notable elements of the new series is the return of the voice of Gene Wilder, who famously played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Wilder died in 2016, but his voice has been recreated using artificial intelligence for the new Netflix series.
Wilder’s estate worked with AI company ElevenLabs to recreate the actor’s voice for the production.
His wife, Karen B. Wilder, said the family was pleased with the way the series incorporated his legacy.
“We are delighted that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket celebrates the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role, introducing that magic to a new generation while honoring the fans who have cherished it for decades,” she said.
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The show has been produced in Australia by Eureka Productions, with the production benefiting from a local tax incentive.
Executive producers include Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Rikkie Proost, David Tibballs, Alison Holloway and Emer Harkin.
The new series takes the familiar world of Willy Wonka and turns it into a high-stakes reality competition, with contestants having to navigate elaborate challenges while trying to avoid elimination.
With its giant factory sets, Oompa Loompa-inspired visuals and the recreated voice of Gene Wilder, the trailer suggests Netflix is leaning heavily into the nostalgia of the classic film while giving the story a completely new format.
Wonka’s The Golden Ticket arrives on Netflix on September 23.
