20-03-2025
Willy Wonka-Inspired Competition Series The Golden Ticket Set at Netflix
Calling all gum chewers, TV addicts and previously bedridden grandparents: Now's your time to shine.
Netflix has ordered The Golden Ticket, an upcoming competition series inspired by Roald Dahl's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the 'beloved and unpredictable universe' of Willy Wonka, the streamer announced Thursday.
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Much like in Dahl's source material, only contestants who find a coveted golden ticket will gain entry to Wonka's Chocolate Factory in the unscripted series. Still, 'a golden ticket doesn't guarantee a sweet ride once the gates open; only those who can adapt, strategize and withstand the unknown will make it through,' the logline reads. 'Set inside a retro-futuristic dreamscape, this high-stakes social experiment will challenge players not just physically, but mentally as they navigate games, tests and temptations designed to probe their instincts, resilience and ability to thrive in chaos.'
Casting for the series is now underway; interested readers can go here for more details.
'We are thrilled to bring the magic of The Chocolate Factory to life like never before,' said Jeff Gaspin, Netflix's vice president of unscripted programming, in a statement. '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.'
Netflix previously acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in a blockbuster 2021 deal, allowing for the creation of what the streamer called 'a unique universe across animated and live-action films and TV, publishing, games, immersive experiences, live theatre, consumer products and more.' Prior to that acquisition, Netflix in 2018 struck a deal with the Roald Dahl Story Company that intended to turn several of Dahl's published works into a slate of animated event series.
First published in 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tells the story of young boy Charlie Bucket, who, alongside his Grandpa Joe, gets a chance to tour the eccentric Willy Wonka's chocolate factory (with some surprising outcomes). The novel has gotten two film adaptations — one starring Gene Wilder as Wonka in 1971, and another starring Johnny Depp in that role in 2005 — while Timothée Chalamet played a younger version of the oddball candymaker in 2023's Wonka.
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