Wonka’s The Golden Ticket: Chocolate River Secrets, Gene Wilder AI Voice, and Filming Location
- Wonka’s The Golden Ticket premieres on Netflix on September 23, 2026.
- Produced by Eureka Productions, the project marks Netflix's first unscripted title since its acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021.
- Production took place at Village Roadshow Studios in Oxenford, on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Netflix Sets September Premiere for Wonka Reality Series
Wonka’s The Golden Ticket premieres on Netflix on September 23, 2026. The unscripted series brings twelve Golden Ticket winners into a massive, custom-built recreation of the famous candy factory.
Produced by Eureka Productions, the project marks Netflix’s first unscripted title since its acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021.
Building a Retro-Futuristic Factory on the Gold Coast
Production took place at Village Roadshow Studios in Oxenford, on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Filming officially began in late 2025 inside the facility’s large soundstages, which sit next to the Warner Bros. Movie World theme park.
Rather than utilizing a historic building, the crew constructed a retro-futuristic dreamscape from scratch to house the show’s challenges. Village Roadshow Studios provided the large space necessary for the custom sets, having previously hosted major feature films such as Godzilla vs. Kong, Elvis, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Millions Added to Queensland’s Local Economy
The production received financial backing from multiple levels of government, including the Australian Government via its Location Offset program. Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program also provided support.
The Queensland Minister for the Arts noted that the production added nearly $17 million to the local economy and created over 210 jobs for local crew members and builders.
A Return for Original Oompa Loompa Rusty Goffe
The show incorporates elements of nostalgia for the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which marks its 55th anniversary.
Rusty Goffe, who portrayed an Oompa Loompa in the 1971 adaptation, returns to help run the factory challenges within the new set.
AI Recreates Gene Wilder’s Voice for Narration
In addition to physical set design, Netflix utilized artificial intelligence technology from ElevenLabs to recreate the voice of the late actor Gene Wilder for the show’s narration.
The Wilder Estate approved the project. Karen B.
A Two-Part Finale Caps Off the September Release
The release schedule includes the first seven episodes premiering on September 23, 2026.
A two-part finale follows a week later on September 30, 2026.