Lickable wallpaper.An edible garden replete with gummy foliage.
A chocolate river made of 25,000 gallons of chocolate goop.Nods to the “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” films appear everywhere in Netflix’s new reality competition show “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket.”But the show, which debuted on the streamer Wednesday, also embraces the darker elements of Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s book and subsequent films.
Unlike the original story, which ultimately rewards protagonist Charlie for his humility and lack of greed after a tour of Wonka’s whimsical chocolate factory, Netflix’s series incentivizes contestants to scheme and strategize to win a $3 million prize.“This is the modern-day take on the movie, so we weren’t really ever trying to be the morality police.We never ever wanted to set out to be the producers that dictated who behaved well and who behaved poorly,” said showrunner Emer Harkin.
“Because let’s be real, we’re all human.We all make mistakes.
We all misbehave.We seek redemption.
We all have our inflected storylines, and so that was important for us.”Yet when the trailer dropped earlier this year, fans of the pop culture classic appeared less preoccupied with the reality twist on the story than with another creative choice: the use of generative AI to replicate the late Gene Wilder’s voice from the original 1971 film.“A whole new generation of real-life Golden Ticket holders will compete for a life-changing prize or say a most unfortunate goodbye,” the AI-generated voice of Wilder says in the series.
“Marvel at the magic you remember and delight in my newest wonders beyond imagination.The most extraordinary competition on Earth is about to begin.”The decision is one that Harkin and co-showrunner Alison Holloway stand behind, saying the use of Wilder’s likeness meant to honor him, not diminish his legacy.
It was done with explicit approval, and encouragement, from his estate and wife.Competitors on ...