AI-generated Gene Wilder voice appears in Netflix Wonka show teaser
Netflix’s Wonka’s The Golden Ticket premieres Sept. 23, with Deadline reporting the AI voice was made by ElevenLabs with Wilder family consent.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Netflix has released a teaser for Wonka’s The Golden Ticket, a reality competition tied to the Willy Wonka story, and the promotion uses an AI-generated version of Gene Wilder’s voice. The choice adds a high-profile example to the entertainment industry’s growing use of synthetic voices modeled on well-known performers.
The Verge reported that the teaser trailer confirms a Sept. 23 premiere date for the show on Netflix. Wilder, who died in 2016, played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Deadline reported that Netflix worked with AI audio company ElevenLabs on the voice and had consent from Wilder’s family. According to Deadline, ElevenLabs has also worked on productions involving recreated voices of Michael Caine and Stan Lee.
What Netflix says about the show
Netflix describes Wonka’s The Golden Ticket as a “high-stakes social experiment,” according to The Verge. The competition will feature 12 golden ticket winners, each joined by a partner they choose.
Netflix says the contest will leave one champion after a week, with a two-part finale set for Sept. 30. The Verge reported that the sets shown in the teaser are physical sets, while the voiceover is AI-generated.
The show follows Netflix’s reality competition version of Squid Game, which turned a fictional survival contest into an unscripted series. The Verge placed Wonka’s The Golden Ticket in that same broader push to build competitions from fictional properties.
Part of a larger Dahl deal
The project also extends Netflix’s 2021 partnership with the Roald Dahl company, The Verge reported. Dahl created the character Willy Wonka in the children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The Verge reported that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket is separate from Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, an animated feature scheduled for 2027. Netflix has not been reported here as tying the reality series directly to that film.
The use of Wilder’s AI-generated voice is likely to draw attention beyond the show’s format because synthetic performances remain a contested issue in film and television. In this case, Deadline reported that the production involved both an AI audio company and permission from Wilder’s family.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.