Netflix Facing Wonka Reality Show Backlash After Using AI to Recreate Gene Wilder’s Voice
Netflix reportedly partnered with an AI audio company to recreate Wilder's voice for The Golden Ticket.
A new Wonka-themed reality competition series has used AI to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice. The Golden Ticket, a nine-part Netflix series premiering September 23, debuted its first trailer this week, unveiling an AI-generated Wilder narration that promises a “life-changing prize” for the show’s winner.
Netflix partnered with AI audio company ElevenLabs for the project, according to Deadline, and Wilder’s estate has given its consent to the controversial move. ElevenLabs also recently made headlines in a deal with the Stan Lee Universe, resurrecting the voice and likeness of the Marvel Comics legend for a series of audiobooks and more.
“More than five decades after Gene brought Willy Wonka to life, people of all ages and backgrounds around the world continue to find joy, laughter and inspiration in his performance,” the late Wilder’s wife, Karen B. Wilder, said in a statement for the Gene Wilder Estate. “Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humor, wonder and heart into people’s lives, and that connection has endured for generations. We are delighted that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket celebrates the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role, introducing that magic to a new generation while honoring the fans who have cherished it for decades.”
Despite the estate’s backing, Netflix’s use of the AI-created voice was swiftly criticized across social media platforms, with a popular response both mimicking Wilder’s Willy Wonka in the original 1971 film and referencing the competition itself—“You lose! Good day, sir!”—while others had some more nuanced commentary on the matter.
“Using dead people’s voices through AI is just so creepy,” one person posted, while another wrote, “It’s maddening to me that anyone could be okay with this. Five years ago, everyone would have called it horrific and disrespectful. Now we’re just ressurecting [sic] the dead for ‘content.’” Another voiced their thoughts that “Gene Wilder died in 2016 and never, ever gave permission for his voice to be used in AI shit like this. I am so much angrier than I should be.”
Twilight franchise star Jackson Rathbone also responded to the news, posting parody lyrics of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’s iconic “Oompa Loompa” song: “Oompa Loompa Doompity Doo/I’ve got another puzzle for you/If you die and don’t sign a will/They will lie and profit from you,” which got the response “It looks like a lot of fun, and plenty of people who grew up with the movie are genuinely excited for it. If Karen Wilder signed off on it, that’s good enough for me. He loved his wife. God forbid some people see the letters ‘AI’ anywhere without completely losing a gasket,” among others.