Netflix has faced a backlash after viewers learned that AI was used to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice for its upcoming reality series Wonka’s The Golden Ticket.
The competition show is due to arrive on the streaming platform on September 23, with a two-part finale set for September 30. It is inspired by the world of Willy Wonka and is described by Netflix as a high-stakes reality contest set inside Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
According to the official description, the series is billed as a “one-of-a-kind reality competition” in which “lucky players step inside Wonka’s Chocolate Factory to face unpredictable games, tests and temptations.”
However, discussion around the programme quickly turned critical after it was revealed that generative AI had been used to reproduce the voice of Wilder, the actor who famously portrayed Willy Wonka in the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, based on Roald Dahl’s novel.
Many viewers were unhappy with the decision, with some describing the use of AI as an “obscenity” and arguing that the result feels empty and lifeless.
The AI-generated narration in the trailer says:
“A whole new generation of real-life golden ticket holders will compete for a life-changing prize or say a most unfortunate goodbye.
“Marvel at the magic you remember and delight in my newest wonders beyond imagination. The most extraordinary competition on Earth is about to begin.”
Wilder’s estate was involved in the show’s production.
Karen B Wilder, the late actor’s wife, said:
“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.
“Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humour, wonder and heart into people’s lives, and that connection has endured for generations.”
A synopsis shared by a Netflix representative states that 12 golden ticket winners, each with a partner of their choosing, will take part in the contest and must “navigate a series of Wonka’s games, tests, and temptations designed to challenge them physically, mentally, and morally”, with “in the end, only one contestant will have what it takes to earn Wonka’s life-changing prize.”
The production partnered with AI company ElevenLabs to generate the voice, and Rusty Goffe, who played an Oompa Loompa in the 1971 film, will also appear in the series.
That choice has drawn a sharp response from fans, many of whom turned to social media to criticise the approach.
One wrote that it ‘almost sounds like gene wilder, but not really and is a plastic substitute that people will eat up because the robots have made them stupid, This is an obscenity.’
Meanwhile, a second person queried why a voice actor was not hired, saying:
“Nah why did they have to use AI for his voice, they could have gotten someone else to voice this over. It didn’t need to be Gene. I’m sure they got permission, but I’m out. Not watching this”.
Another wrote:
“Just hire a talented voice actor to play a new host! Why do we have to dig up the past?”
Someone else added:
“Someone should have voiced this better, the ai voice lacks emotion, no soul no depth.”
Netflix says the show will follow the golden ticket winners as they enter a retro-futuristic version of Wonka’s factory and compete in a series of challenges designed to test their physical, mental and moral resilience. The series marks the streamer’s latest collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company, which it acquired in 2021.
The use of AI to resurrect the voice of a beloved performer has also reignited broader concerns about consent, legacy and the growing role of generative technology in entertainment.