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Netflix announces Willy Wonka-inspired reality show where contestants must 'thrive in chaos'

Netflix announces Willy Wonka-inspired reality show where contestants must 'thrive in chaos'

Yahoo20-03-2025
Did you watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a child and think, 'Oh, I would've totally breezed past all those bratty kids and won a lifetime supply of chocolate easily?' Well, now you have the chance to prove it.
Netflix has announced that they are in the process of casting for The Golden Ticket, a reality survival competition that will see its candy-loving contestants use their less-than-pure imagination to fight for a chance to enter Wonka's legendary chocolate factory. However, what's waiting for them inside the candy kingdom might not be such a sweet treat.
'We are thrilled to bring the magic of The Chocolate Factory to life like never before,' Jeff Gaspin, Vice President of Unscripted at Netflix said in a press release. 'This one-of-a-kind reality competition blends adventure, strategy, and social dynamics, creating an experience that is as captivating as it is unpredictable. For the first time, a lucky few won't just have to imagine the experience — they'll get to step inside the factory and live it.'
Related: Yes, there's already a Willy Wonka Glasgow experience parody — and John Stamos stars in the music video
The series, which is described as a 'high-stakes social experiment,' is based on Roald Dahl's titular 1964 novel will challenge participants to 'adapt, strategize, and withstand the unknown' in order to win themselves an unspecified prize. The premise feels like a spiritual successor to that strange, slightly terrifying Willy Wonka-themed experience that took place in Glasgow last year, which even featured a random character named the Unknown.
Along the way, its participants will face a collection of both physical and mental games that are set to challenge their 'instincts, resilience, and ability to thrive in chaos.' Losers, we assume, will be thrown into a chocolate river or turned into human blueberries.
While a host for the series has not been announced just yet, we've got our fingers crossed that either a member of the Wonka cast (Timothée Chalamet? Hugh Grant?) or one of the Glasgow experience actors will step in to lead the scrumdiddlyumptious social experiment.
Related: Freddie Highmore serves 'yummy methamphetamine' in spoof of infamous Willy Wonka fan experience
How is all of this happening? Well, Netflix secured the rights to all of Dahl's IP when they acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021. In the years since, the company has teamed up with Wes Anderson to release his 2023 short film anthology, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More.
Chocolate connoisseurs eager to prove themselves can apply for the series here, with the show's filming location and premiere set to be announced at a later date. For now, watch the trailer above.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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