Wonka's the Golden Ticket
2026 American reality competition series
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Wonka's the Golden Ticket is an American reality competition television series that premiered on Netflix on September 23, 2026.[1] It is based on Roald Dahl’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Twelve people who find Golden Tickets enter a recreated chocolate factory with a partner and compete in a series of challenges for a cash prize described as a “lifetime supply of money.” The prize has been reported as $3 million paid over 30 years.[2]
| Wonka's the Golden Ticket | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality competition |
| Based on | |
| Directed by | Rich Kim |
| Narrated by | Gene Wilder (AI recreation) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Chris Culvenor Paul Franklin Rikkie Proost David Tibballs Alison Holloway Emer Harkin |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | Eureka Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | September 23 – September 30, 2026 |
| Related | |
| Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971 film) | |
The first seven episodes were released on September 23, with the final two episodes scheduled for September 30.[3]
Premise
Contestants receive chocolate bars that may contain a Golden Ticket, those who find one bring a partner into the factory. Once inside they take part in physical games, tests of judgment, and various temptations built around elements from the original story. The elements include a chocolate river, lickable wallpaper, a forced-perspective hallway, and “Wonkavision” challenges.[4] Contestants are eliminated until one winner remains.
The series has no traditional host and the voice of Willy Wonka is an AI recreation of Gene Wilder’s performance from the 1971 film, created with the consent of his estate.[5]
Production
The series was produced by Eureka Productions, a Fremantle company, for Netflix. It was made in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company and the Gene Wilder Estate. Executive producers are Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Rikkie Proost, David Tibballs, Alison Holloway, and Emer Harkin.[6]
Filming took place at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast in Australia. The production built an 88,000-square-foot set across three studios that includes a 27,000-gallon chocolate river. It was reported as the largest set ever constructed in Australia for a television production of this kind.[7] The project received support from Australian location incentives and Screen Queensland.
Rusty Goffe, who appeared as an Oompa-Loompa in the 1971 film, returns for the series in his final acting role. Goffe stated, "I started on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and now Wonka's The Golden Ticket is my swan song. I've just ended my career on Willy Wonka. Isn't that wonderful?".[8] He is joined by a new group of performers that includes his son Ben Goffe.[9]
Contestants
The twelve Golden Ticket holders and their partners are:
- Marcy, 63, retired, and Joanne, 60, homemaker
- Shawn, 64, special education teacher, and Garrison, 30, partner marketing manager
- Ray, 79, retired, and Jackson, 25, bartender
- Bill, 63, retired, and Kayla, 34, consultant
- Tatum, 27, fashion consultant and social media manager, and Kellye, 61, singer, actor and musician
- Everett, 36, travel advisor and marketing director, and James, 38, human resources manager
- Bryce, 22, roofer, and Taylor, 23, phlebotomist
- Nick, 37, DJ, and Jason, 49, DJ and event company owner
- Gabrielle, 22, DJ and choreographer, and Sasha, 24, entrepreneur
- Ziad, 32, fitness and nutrition coach, and Austin, 29, content creator
- Ava, 25, creative producer, and Jeffrey, 69, business owner
- Moon, 29, singer, and Hunter, 31, general contractor
Oompa-Loompa performers include Rusty Goffe, Ben Goffe, Mitchell Marion, Tiffany Sarich, Beccy Benjamin, Ash Hodgkinson, Dane Noonan, Daniel Stone, and Alivia McCarthy.[10]
Cameo appearances include Peter Ostrum (the original Charlie Bucket), David Chang, Sean Evans, and Zach King.[11]
Release
Netflix announced the series on June 30, 2026, releasing a teaser the same day. A full trailer followed in August. The season premiered on September 23, 2026.[12]
Reception
Early critical response was mixed to negative. Reviewers generally praised the scale and detail of the factory sets while criticizing the use of an AI recreation of Gene Wilder’s voice and describing the challenges as formulaic. Several comparisons were made to earlier Netflix competition series such as Squid Game: The Challenge.[13][14][15]