Two Montanans Are Chasing $3 Million on Willy Wonka’s New Show

Okay, I gotta admit it. I am a huge Willy Wonka fan. 

Nostalgia in the Chocolate Factory

I'm talking about the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the 1971 movie with Gene Wilder. I was obsessed with it as a kid. 

It wasn't just the fantasy of a chocolate factory, the golden tickets, and all the crazy candy that made the movie so much fun. For me, there was something even more special about it. 

Montana was represented. 

Excitement for Miles City: A Small Town Spotlight

Remember Violet Beauregarde? Her father, Sam Beauregarde, was from Miles City, Montana. 

READ MORE: Montanans Share Their Favorite Movies Filmed in the Big Sky State

As a kid growing up in Montana, I remember being incredibly excited to hear Montana mentioned in one of my favorite movies. Even better, it wasn't the usual Montana big cities you would expect; it was Miles City.

Montana’s Growing Fame in Pop Culture

That was a big deal to me because, back then, Montana didn't get nearly the attention it gets today. 

Fast-forward to 2026, and Netflix has brought Willy Wonka back in a completely different way with its new reality competition series called Wonka’s The Golden Ticket. 

Of course, I had to watch it. 

The show features an AI-generated version of Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka voice, with the approval of Wilder's estate. 

Then I discovered something that made this whole thing even more fun. 

Meet the Montana Contestants: A Team to Root For

There are two contestants from Montana, Bryce and Taylor, who are boyfriend and girlfriend. 

High Stakes: $3 Million Up for Grabs

Oh, and there's another little detail that makes this competition pretty exciting. 

The winning team could take home $3 million. 

That's a whole lot more than a lifetime supply of chocolate; the show is calling it a “lifetime supply of money.”

READ MORE: Forgotten Montana Made Movie Celebrating 20 Years

On the show, they don’t specifically say where they are from in Montana. According to their Instagram pages, both are wearing jerseys from Shelby.

So here we are, more than 50 years after the original movie introduced me to Miles City, Montana, and now Montana is represented again in the Wonka universe, with two contestants competing for a shot at $3 million. 

Talk about coming full circle. 

Tune In: The Countdown to the Final Episodes

Nearly all of the episodes have been released, with the final two episodes, Episodes 8 and 9, scheduled for September 30. That’s when we find out who wins the money. 

So yes, I'm watching all of this show. 

Now I need to see how our Montana contestants do. 

Two Montanans. $3 million on the line. Willy Wonka. 

Let's go, Montana!