• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LifestyleNetflix

Netflix is making a Willy Wonka reality/competition show

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
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.

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
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.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Lifestyle

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
In 2026, many employers are ditching merit-based pay bumps in favor of ‘peanut butter raises’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Cybersecurity
Top AI leaders are begging people not to use Moltbook, a social media platform for AI agents: It’s a ‘disaster waiting to happen’
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Gates Foundation doubles down on foreign aid as U.S. government largely withdraws
By Thalia Beaty and The Associated PressFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
13 hours ago

Latest in Lifestyle

bunny
North AmericaSports
Why Bad Bunny is essential to the future of the NFL, even if Trump hates his halftime show
By Jared Bahir Browsh and The ConversationFebruary 4, 2026
12 hours ago
McNuggets
Travel & LeisureMcDonald's
McDonald’s wants you to eat caviar McNuggets this Valentine’s Day
By Dee-Ann Durbin and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
12 hours ago
SuccessOlympics
Philippines’ first male Olympic gold medalist in history was given a fully furnished $550,000 condo to go with his medals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 4, 2026
17 hours ago
kalshi
RetailGrocery
Kalshi gave away $50 in free groceries for 3 hours in New York City. A line 4 blocks long full of students and people on food stamps formed
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 4, 2026
17 hours ago
North AmericaMelinda French Gates
Bill Gates ‘has to answer’ for Epstein files mentions, Melinda French Gates says, weeks after record $8 billion donation in divorce settlement
By Sydney LakeFebruary 4, 2026
18 hours ago
super bowl
Arts & EntertainmentAdvertising
The ‘Kardashian Kurse’ and a Jurassic Park reunion are among the Super Bowl commercials planned for this year
By Mae Anderson and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
18 hours ago