General Discussion

Netflix is releasing a new game show, one that combines the popularity of Squid Game, the timeless charms of the live-action Wonka experience, and the unwanted ubiquity of technofascist horrors beyond our comprehension. Wonka’s The Golden Ticket is a competition series where 12 lucky contestants will get to live out the classic childhood fantasy of winning a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, which has been rendered in the teaser trailer with a mix of cheap AI graphics and colorful, whimsical physical sets. “Once inside, contestants must navigate a series of Wonka’s games, tests, and temptations designed to challenge them physically, mentally, and morally,” says Netflix.

The trailer alone is mentally and morally challenging enough, as it is narrated by the artificially reconstituted voice of a dead man. The series will feature the voice of Gene Wilder, who played Wonka in the 1971 film and died in 2016 from complications with Alzheimer’s disease. The voice in the trailer is creepy and not in the way that Wonka is meant to be creepy. It’s upsetting to hear an un-ensouled voice entreating us to “marvel at the magic you remember,” negating its attempt at lazy nostalgia-baiting with its unfortunate robotic reminder of a dystopian present.

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