On February 24, 2024, families arrived to what they thought was an immersive Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow, Scotland, but instead were faced with an empty warehouse. The event, Willy’s Chocolate Experience, was put on by House of Illuminati and was an AI-generated mess. From sparse decorations to disturbing characters, the experience was a disaster that led to the police being called and the event being canceled halfway through the day.
The signs of a scam started at the website, in which the descriptions and photos were all AI-generated. It described the experience as a “chocolate fantasy” and a “journey with delicious treats,” which it didn’t end up living up to. Also, a clue to the AI-generation, many things were misspelled like “a pasadise of sweet treats” and “exarserdray lollipops.” The website is still up, where you can find photos that are obviously fake and show unlimited candy gardens, just like how one might imagine in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book. It also promised activities like Oompa Loompa performances, optical illusions, and boat-loads of candy.
Even though the website seemed like a scam, many still attended the event. The tickets were up to 35 pounds per person, and were sold online and at the door. When families walked in, they were instantly disappointed as the event consisted of an empty warehouse with a few tables and chairs. There was one candy-themed backdrop to take photos, but the rest was pretty much deserted.
There were three characters present – an Oompa Loompa, Willy Wonka, and the now internet famous Unknown, a character that cannot be found in the book or one of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movies. The Unknown was described as an evil chocolate-maker who lived in the walls and stole candy from children. Dressed in all black with an eerie silver mask, children were terrified by the character. Since the event, the Unknown has gained a lot of traction online because of its alarming costume and the fact it isn’t an actual real character in the Willy Wonka universe.
The actor behind the Unknown has not spoken of their experience, but the oompa loompa and Willy Wonka actors have. Jenny Fogarty, who played Oompa Loompa, told New York Times that she was given a long script the night before and received her costume an hour before families arrived. She even said that the costume was in an “Amazon box that probably arrived that morning.” The actor behind Willy Wonka, Paul Connell, spoke to The Guardian and said that the script was “15 pages of AI-generated gibberish.” Both mentioned that they were supposed to be paid 16 pounds an hour, but they were never paid.
What might be the worst part was the lack of any chocolate, which is the main event of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Children were given two jellybeans and a quarter cup of lemonade, but that was it. Children left the event crying and parents left furious. Overall, the experience was underwhelming and disappointing for families.
During the few hours that the event ran, someone called the police to report the scam. The experience was then canceled and everyone was sent home. Willy’s Chocolate Experience was supposed to run for two days, but only survived a few, short, miserable hours. BBC reports that House of Illuminati has offered a full refund to everyone who attended. The disaster of the event has become viral online, with people sharing photos of the empty warehouse, the terrifying Unknown, and the devastated children. The only person that benefited from the experience was surprisingly, the Unknown, as now Kaledonia Pictures has claimed to be making a movie about the character. The Guardian says the movie will tell the story of an illustrator and his wife who move to the Scottish Highlands after their son dies and encounter the Unknown. Besides that, Willy’s Chocolate Experience was a complete disaster and a scam.
