Netflix has provoked a backlash after announcing it will use artificial intelligence to recreate the voice of the late Gene Wilder for a new reality TV series set in the world of Willy Wonka. The show, called Wonka's The Golden Ticket, will feature an AI-generated version of Wilder, who played the eccentric chocolatier in the 1971 film. The actor's voice is being replicated by AI audio firm ElevenLabs, with the consent of his estate following his death in 2016.
Wilder's wife, Karen B. Wilder, said she was "delighted" the series "celebrates the imagination" he brought to the role. But some fans were less enthusiastic, describing the decision as "disrespectful" and "a plastic substitute" on social media. "In the end, it still sounds like every robotic AI voice you have heard," said one commenter. Others jokingly drew comparisons to the disastrous "Willy's Chocolate Experience" event in Glasgow in 2024, which went viral for failing to deliver on its promises. "Perhaps the Wonka experience was better than this (not that it's saying much)," one posted, alongside a drab picture of the event.
“Netflix's AI recreation of Gene Wilder's voice for a Wonka reality show sparks fan backlash despite estate consent.”
Netflix said the show would attempt to recreate the story of Roald Dahl's classic children's book, with contestants taking part in "a series of Wonka's temptations and challenges" for a final prize. The announcement follows other attempts to bring back the voices of former entertainment stars using AI. In October 2024, Sir Michael Parkinson's son defended the use of AI to recreate the chat show host's voice for a new interview podcast series.
Jocelyn Burnham, who specialises in AI in arts and culture, said studios were now "testing the waters" for what audiences might accept. She pointed to Disney's digital recreation of James Earl Jones's voice as Darth Vader in the 2022 series Obi-Wan Kenobi as evidence that audiences are not "automatically hostile" to all uses of AI in screen performances. But she added that while there was no "settled set of industry norms" around where audiences draw the line, the more loved the voice or character is, "the more scrutiny the resulting product is likely to face".