Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Peter Ostrum has returned to Charlie Buckett for Wonka’s The Golden Ticket.
The 68-year-old former actor, whose only film role came as a 12-year-old child star in 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, has reprised his iconic role for Netflix’s new game show based on Roald Dahl’s classic novel.
In the opening episode, the original Charlie is back for a fleeting cameo appearance in a montage of people discovering ‘golden tickets’ confirming their spot on the show.
At one point, Peter can be seen opening a chocolate bar with no ticket inside, quipping: “Not this time, Wonka.”
He turned down a three-movie offer after appearing in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and ended up swapping acting for veterinary medicine.
Back in 2018, Peter – who has avoided returning for other Wonka-themed projects – admitted he gets calls “every time there’s a new version of the story or some fresh look at the film”.
He told the Daily Mirror: “It keeps resurfacing in different formats. We had no idea at the time that it would have any kind of success at all, so it’s pretty neat that it is still so loved.”
Peter’s rare TV appearance in Wonka’s Golden Ticket has been described as “seismic” for showrunner Emer Harkin.
She told Netflix’s Tudum: “It was so meaningful for all of us to get that blessing.
“To get [Peter] being Charlie and blessing our project in a way that he’s never done since the original movie was seismic for us.”
The new reality competition series features 12 pairs who get invited into Wonka’s factory, where they face a range of candy and chocolate-themed challenges.
The winner will get a “lifetime supply of money”, or a six-figure annuity for 30 years.
Emer has promised plenty of Easter eggs and references to both the book and its 1971 adaptation.
She added: “We just devoured everything that was Wonka-related and tried to create the most evocative and nostalgic experience that we could for the cast coming in to share in this world.
“We really want to pay homage. That was always our directive.”
Fans will also see a familiar face with Rusty Goffe, who played an Oompa-Loompa in the original movie, and returns to the role alongside his son.
He said: “To be back here making Wonka’s The Golden Ticket with my son Ben is absolutely mind blowing.
“When this came up, I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s get him in it as well.’”
Wonka’s Golden Ticket also features an AI recreation of Gene Wilder’s voice as the late actor, who played the original Willy Wonka in 1971 and died in 2016, appears in a posthumous role.
Wonka’s The Golden Ticket is available to stream on Netflix.
