This week, Netflix announced a reality competition series that is beyond imagination. The Golden Ticket is inspired by the world of Wonka, and the show will make contestants compete for a chance to enter Wonka’s Cholate Factory. The casting stage is still happening, so the streamer is yet to announce a filming location and a release window for the upcoming show.

According to Netflix the setting of The Golden Ticket will be “a retro-futuristic dreamscape” — so, nothing like that Glasgow disaster from last year —and the show will mix the traditional competition format with a social experiment. So far, it isn’t clear how everything is going to go down, but we do know that players will have to find a golden ticket in order to advance to the factory. The catch is: entering the chocolate factory is not the ultimate goal of the competition, because the contestants that do make it inside will still have to adapt, strategize, and withstand the unknown as they get challenged physically and mentally. The teaser hints that contestants will get actual golden tickets, which may signal escalating rewards.

In an official statement, Vice President of Unscripted at Netflix Jeff Gaspin celebrated the announcement of The Golden Ticket and teased the kind of challenges that participants will face:

“We are thrilled to bring the magic of The Chocolate Factory to life like never before. This one-of-a-kind reality competition blends adventure, strategy, and social dynamics, creating an experience that is as captivating as it is unpredictable. For the first time, a lucky few won’t just have to imagine the experience—they’ll get to step inside the factory and live it.”

‘The Golden Ticket’ Is Just The Beginning Of The “Dahl-verse” At Netflix

The Golden Ticket represents Netflix‘s next step in diving into the large lake that is the Roald Dahl universe of stories. In 2021, the streamer acquired the rights to the author’s IP, which means that fans of the late author’s body of work can expect more and more projects based on some famous titles. Back when the acquisition happened, Netflix announced plans to create “a unique universe across animated and live action films and TV, publishing, games, immersive experiences, live theater, consumer products and more.” So the new reality series illustrates how they are willing to experiment with the IP in order to figure out how to wield the potential of Dahl stories.

The Netflix and Roald Dahl Story company have already worked together on live-action adaptations. In 2022, they released Matilda the Musical with Emma Thompson (Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy) and Lashana Lynch (The Marvels). In 2023, they released the short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar with Benedict Cumberbatch (Eric) and Ralph Fiennes (Conclave). This year, the streamer will release The Twits, an animated movie written and directed by Phil Johnston (Zootopia) and based on the Roald Dahl‘s 1980 book.

Casting is open now for The Golden Ticket. U.S. residents can apply here.