It’s been a while since we actually saw ‘Willy Wonka’ branded confections in stores. But many folks – especially fans of the iconic kid’s story – remain nostalgic about them. Now, NETFLIX and Ferrero are joining forces to bring back Wonka chocolate treats…
Truth to tell, the last time we saw real-world Wonka candies was when the newest (Johnny Depp) version of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie premiered. And they sold like… well… Everlasting Gobstoppers!
A popularity roller coaster
But as the film aged and went into syndication, interest in (and sales of) the actual confections waned. And Nestlé, which had been making them discontinued the line without fanfare.
Then, in 2018, Ferrero purchased Nestlé’s US confectionery business for $2.8 billion. Through this acquisition, Ferrero acquired over 20 American candy and confection brands, including:
- Chocolate products such as Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, 100Grand, Raisinets, and Crunch (US rights),
- Sugar products such as SweeTarts, LaffyTaffy, and Nerds,
- Ice cream, and…
- Cereals.
And, apparently, the rights to the Wonka brand confections were also tucked in there somewhere.
Meanwhile…
Netflix bought the Roald Dahl Story Company in September 2021. Through that acquisition, Netflix gained the rights to create a vast, interconnected universe of Roald Dahl content, ranging from movies and TV series to games, theatre productions, and merchandise.
So… The partners are getting ready to promote an upcoming flurry of Dahl media projects by bringing our a10-product line of Wonka branded confections this fall.
The vision
″[O]ur ambition is to apply the Ferrero lens to the Wonka universe and to bring fresh new energy to the seasonal aisle,” Alessandro Rapali, Premium Chocolate President at Ferrero Group, said in a statement.
“Behind the scenes, our research, development and innovation teams have been carefully leveraging decades of experience in real chocolate factories, applying Ferrero’s signature quality and craftsmanship, and bringing to life a new Wonka world.”
A whole slew of questions
All of which raises a whole slew of questions…
Will there be another Wonka movie? A new video series? And, if so, will they be live-action or animated?
Will there be additional Wonka branded candy creations in future? And will they ever come back permanently?
My take
Silly old, assumptive me… I just assumed Disney had got its claws into the Roald Dahl ‘catalogue’. They seem to pounce on and devour every other family- (especially kid-) themed franchise that comes up for auction…
I applaud any move – no matter how minor, to support competition in the marketplace, even the ephemeral (at best) consumer entertainment sector!
Disclaimer: I also have a soft spot for Willy Wonka and his magical chocolate factory. I’ll freely admit, I experienced childlike wonderment when I first saw the original 1971 movie with Gene Wilder.
I’ll be VERY interested, in all respects, to see what happens this fall…
~ Maggie J.