Netflix’s New Willy Wonka Series With Gene Wilder Return Revealed In First Trailer

Published Aug 26, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT Growing up around performers, storytelling was always central to Emma's life. Add in a nerdy older brother who introduced her to Marvel at far too young an age, and her love for entertainment led her to pursue a Journalism degree at Indiana University, where she discovered her passion for entertainment reporting. She spent nearly one year in Los Angeles covering industry stories and fully immersing herself in the world of entertainment media. The first trailer for Netflix's new Willy Wonka competition series reveals the return of Gene Wilder's iconic version of the character, nearly 55 years after Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Wonka's The Golden Ticket will bring 12 Golden Ticket winners and their chosen partners inside Wonka's Chocolate Factory, where they will face a series of challenges for a life-changing prize. The series shows an AI recreation of Wilder's voice, which was created with permission from his estate, while original Oompa Loompa actor Rusty Goffe will also return. The series premieres September 23 on Netflix. Watch the trailer below: More to come as the story develops.