Netflix, Eureka to recreate Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory down under for Golden Ticket format

The Golden Ticket is in production at Village Roadshow Studios

Netflix and production partner Eureka have selected Australia to film new global format The Golden Ticket, inspired by Roald Dahl classic Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.

The competition series has begun filming at Village Roadshow Studios on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Netflix announced its Wonka format partnership with Eureka in March, but at the time it was unclear where the format would be filmed. The streamer invested an estimated US$500m in the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021, which has resulted in films Matilda the Musical, The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and The Twits.

The new format will see contestants competing for the golden ticket entry to Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, with a raft of further hurdles to tackle once granted entry.

The Queensland government forecasts that the production will contribute A$17m (US$11m) to the local economy and created more than 200 jobs. The series is supported by the Australian government through the Location Offset, Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Programme.

Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney welcomed the third project from Netflix this year to be filmed in the state, following Ludo Studio’s Allen and Film 44’s The Mosquito Bowl. “Repeat business is a mark of trust in our state’s screen sector and highlights that it’s not only our incentives that make Queensland a production destination of choice – it’s also our renowned crews, first-class facilities, locations and lifestyle,” said Feeney.