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LifestyleNetflix

Netflix is making a Willy Wonka reality/competition show

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 20, 2025, 1:17 PM ET
Netflix has big plans for Willy Wonka now that it owns the rights.
Netflix has big plans for Willy Wonka now that it owns the rights. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
  • Netflix is launching a competition show based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A search for contestants is underway. Netflix bought the Roald Dahl Story Company four years ago.

Four years after acquiring the Roald Dahl Story Company, Netflix is opening up the Chocolate Factory.

The streaming service on Thursday announced it would launch a new competition series called The Golden Ticket, produced by the same company behind shows like The Mole. The call is underway now for contestants. Netflix did not give an anticipated premiere date.

The reality/competition show will loosely follow the events of Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which has been cinematically adapted several times, most famously starring Gene Wilder.

“We are thrilled to bring the magic of The Chocolate Factory to life like never before,” said Jeff Gaspin, vice president of unscripted at Netflix, 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.”

To be a part of the show, you’ll have to be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. Click here to apply.

Details of the gameplay were kept under wraps, but players will seemingly compete to find a golden ticket, which grants them entry into the factory. Once there, however, Netflix says only those who “adapt, strategize, and withstand the unknown will make it through” the games, puzzles, tests and “temptations.”

Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021, three years after the two initially partnered together. At the time, Netflix said it was working with director Taika Waititi on a series based on the world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and a musical version of Dahl’s Matilda. Matilda: The Musical released in 2022, but the Waititi project has so far failed to materialize.

The competition show is the latest in a series of program expansions for the streaming network, which also has been increasing its live sports programming.

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About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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