Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka Return In Netflix's New Series Gets Official Response From Original Oompa Loompa
Maggie Dela Paz is a News and TV writer at ScreenRant. She has nearly a decade of professional experience in writing entertainment articles about a wide range of topics, including movies, television, music, anime, streaming, and more.
Netflix’s new show Wonka’s Golden Ticket has received a positive response from one of Gene Wilder’s former co-stars.
Netflix has officially reimagined Roald Dahl’s iconic novel into a reality competition series, Wonka’s Golden Ticket. To establish its connection with the original 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the streamer brought back Gene Wilder through an AI recreation of his voice, who acts as the show’s host. Wilder’s performance in the classic film was widely recognized as a career-defining moment for the legendary actor. That’s why many fans weren’t happy with Netflix’s controversial decision, even though Wilder’s AI return was created with the approval of his estate.
Despite the backlash, some people actually loved what Netflix has done with Wilder’s character. One of them is Harry Potter actor Rusty Goffe, who played one of the original Oompa Loompas in the 1971 adaptation. Decades after starring onscreen with Wilder, Goffe has found himself playing an Oompa Loompa once again in Netflix’s newest reality show Wonka’s Golden Ticket. In an interview with Variety, Goffe shared his emotional experience hearing Wilder’s voice again while filming the Netflix show.
Goffe: “It was lovely hearing his voice again, because I loved that man. He was a gentle, fantastic character, very funny, very, very kind, and to hear him in the show, I was so pleased that Netflix had done it. He is Mr. Wonka. He is Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder is Willy Wonka.”
He admitted that he initially had second thoughts about signing on to the project. However, Goffe later on felt that Wilder would have wanted him to take the job because that’s the kind of person he is.
Goffe: “It’s just [like] him standing there. I did shed a tear when I first heard it, because I loved the man so much. But then I thought he wouldn’t want me to do that. He’d want me to be an Oompa-Loompa, get out there, do the job. Yeah, that that was Gene. He was a lovely, lovely man.”
Wonka’s Golden Ticket features twelve pairs of contestants who have been invited to Netflix’s impressive replica of Willy Wonka’s whimsical Chocolate Factory. In the show, they will be competing in a series of unpredictable games, challenges, and temptations for the ultimate prize. Unlike in the original story, the winner will be granted a lifetime supply of money. Instead of a traditional host, the AI voice of Wilder’s Willy Wonka will serve as the players’ guide through each game.
The Netflix show hails from showrunners and executive producers Alison Holloway and Emer Harkin. The group of contestants consists of different pairs ranging from best friends to a grandfather-grandson duo. The creative team also includes director Rich Kim and set designer Chris Batson, who brought the magical factory to life with the help of Australian magician Adam Mada and Eureka Productions.
Wonka’s Golden Ticket is part of Netflix’s ongoing collaboration with The Roald Dahl Story Company, which started in 2021. The partnership has already produced three films, including 2022’s Matilda the Musical starring Alisha Weir and Emma Thompson, 2023’s Wes Anderson short film collection Henry Sugar with Benedict Cumberbatch, and 2025’s animated fantasy The Twits with Emilia Clarke and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
After the reality competition series, Netflix is set to release a new animated epic on November 5, 2027, titled Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory. It will feature the voices of Kit Connor, Kate Winslet, Nicola Coughlan, Helena Bonham Carter, and Taika Waititi. The story follows Connor’s Charlie as he and his friends try to break into the factory to steal the priceless Wonka bar in hopes of saving their homes.
The first seven episodes of Wonka’s Golden Ticket are now available to stream on Netflix, while its final two episodes will drop on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
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