Willy's Chocolate Experience: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 55°52′19″N 4°20′24″W / 55.872°N 4.340°W / 55.872; -4.340
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[[Category:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]

Revision as of 03:22, 29 February 2024

Not to be confused with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Willy's Chocolate Experience
StatusDefunct
Date(s)24 February, 2024
VenueBox Hub Warehouse
Location(s)Glasgow, Scotland
CountryUnited Kingdom
Years active2024
FounderBilly Coull
Websitewillyschocolateexperience.com

Willy's Chocolate Experience was an event based on the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory franchise, held in Glasgow in February 2024. The unlicensed event was promoted as being an "immersive and delightful entertainment experience"[1] promoted on its website with "dreamlike" AI generated images.[2] When the event itself turned out to be a largely empty warehouse with a few props and decorations, customers complained, police were called and the event went viral on the Internet, garnering international media attention.[2][3][4][5][6]

The event was compared by some to the 2014 Tumblr fan convention DashCon and the Fyre Festival.[7][8][9]

Background

On the website "What's On Glasgow", a listing showed a Willy Wonka inspired event which was scheduled for 24 and 25 February 2024.[10] The listing claimed to have live performances, "enchanting environments", and "sweet treats".[11] A standalone website was created for the event, which used AI pictures and included spelling errors.[12]

The event was organised by House of Illuminati, a company registered to Billy Coull which offers "unparalleled immersive experiences", and whose websites Rolling Stone magazine concluded had likely been written by an AI chatbot.[13]

Event

The event took place in a warehouse which was located in an industrial area of Glasgow. Inside the warehouse contained a few plastic props, a small bouncy castle, backdrops pinned to a wall, and with employees being told to give children "a couple of jelly beans and a quarter cup of lemonade" at the end of the experience.[5] Paul Connell, who was hired to portray Willy Wonka in the event, stated that he had been sent a script containing "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish", including references to an invented character known as "The Unknown" (who was described as "an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls"), which he was to defeat using a vacuum cleaner—a prop that was not provided.[14]

Patrons who attended gave negative reviews due to the lackluster nature of the experience, and many demanded a refund.[5] Police were called to the venue after complaints.[5]

The event, scheduled to run for a weekend,[10] was abruptly cancelled by organiser Billy Coull midway through its opening day.[13][5] The event's Facebook page claimed to be offering refunds.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Willys Chocolate Experience Glasgow. Get your Tickets!". willyschocolateexperience.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "A Willy Wonka-inspired experience 'scam' was so bad that people called the cops". NBC News. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  3. ^ Hibberd, James (27 February 2024). "Willy Wonka Immersive Event Leaves Kids in Tears: "It Looks Like a Meth Lab"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  4. ^ Edwards, Benj (27 February 2024). "Cops called after parents get tricked by AI-generated images of Wonka-like event". Ars Technica. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e Brooks, Libby (27 February 2024). "Glasgow Willy Wonka experience called a 'farce' as tickets refunded". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Police called to Glasgow Willy Wonka event after families demand refunds". BBC News. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  7. ^ Colbert, Isaiah (27 February 2024). "Willy Wonka Experience Promoted Using Suspected AI Art Was So Bad That Customers Called the Police". IGN. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  8. ^ Stenzel, Wesley (27 February 2024). "Chocolate Fyre Festival? Inside the Willy Wonka event that had infuriated guests calling the cops". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  9. ^ Cohen, Danielle (28 February 2024). "Welcome to Fyre Fest: Wonka Edition". The Cut. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b Holpuch, Amanda (27 February 2024). "A Few Jelly Beans and a World of Disappointment at Willy Wonka Event". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Willy Wonka Experience". What's On Glasgow. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Willy's Chocolate Experience". Willy's Chocolate Experience. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Klee, Miles (28 February 2024). "Huckster Behind 'Willy Wonka' Event Also Sells AI-Written Vaccine Conspiracy Books". Rolling Stone.
  14. ^ "Willy Wonka actor breaks silence on disastrous Willy's Chocolate Experience". The Independent. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

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