Netflix Uses AI-Generated Gene Wilder Voice in Wonka Show

moviesJun 30, 202625811

Netflix’s Willy Wonka competition series The Golden Ticket uses an AI-generated recreation of Gene Wilder’s voice for its Willy Wonka narration, with the Wilder estate granting permission and ElevenLabs reported as the vendor. The streamer schedules the series premiere for September 23. Critics and observers quoted in posts say the AI voice sounds unlike Wilder, with several arguing a human soundalike would have been preferable on artistic and labor grounds. Some posts allege the AI model was trained on a wide range of Wilder recordings beyond the Wonka role, producing conversational tones rather than the movie’s distinctive performance. Other commentary calls the decision ghoulish or unnecessary even though the estate approved it. The decision and the trailer have reignited debate about estates licensing deceased performers’ voices and about AI voice use in new productions.

Kristi Yamaguccimane

@wapplehouse.bsky.social

“the voice of Willy Wonka is that of Gene Wilder, recreated by GenAI”

4546h ago

rvleshrac.bsky.social5

What the fuck is wrong with Karen Boyer? She running out of money so soon after his death that she has to shit on his grave for more?

Tyler King

@tyleraking.com

Netflix is applying its Squid Game format to a Willy Wonka reality game show with AI-generated voiceovers of Gene Wilder. The family consented to the use by ElevenLabs to recreate his voice.

815h ago

Tyler King17

The voice in the trailer sounds exactly as poorly reproduced as you’d expect from ai impersonation. A professional voice imitator would have done a vastly better job.

Unimpressed by this timeline11

Never before have I heard a TV pitch that made me want to throw up in my mouth

Kuragari 7

His family should be fucking ashamed. I don't believe Gene Wilder would have consented. What a dishonor to his memory.

Higher Than Onix6

I genuinely believe this should be illegal UNLESS the person explicitly consents to it. Opt-in or hands-off

Goofierbrute5

It keeps getting worse the more you read of it.

Some Guy in Kent3

Yeah, I hate it. Thanks

Quoting this

Ben Schwartz182

If you're a movie star who's saying "over my dead body will i allow my voice to be used for ai," you better get it in writing.

Nash175

Y'know we have this mentality in our culture that when someone dies, they "belong" to the surviving family and we should respect that. On the other hand, my policy is "judge them by their actions." This is gross.

chris walla, ,,15

yes but they did not get my consent and i would like to opt out

abby (sports)13

Tapping my “the people at ElevenLabs will not see heaven” sign

Sean11

"The family consented..." they got paid & it's gross. Does Gene Wilder's family need money that badly?

Chob8

Come with me and you'll see a lack of pure imagination.

Serial Experiments Abigail8

I genuinely do wonder sometimes if the fact that I find this painfully revolting and they don't is because something is wrong with me or because something is wrong with them

J.D. Buffington6

Why not HIRE a soundalike? There are comedians and actors who have had major careers from their ability to impersonate. Very early on I thought a family giving permission for the use of a likeness or whatever might be okay, but with all the impropriety? It’s not safe, and dilutes a legacy.

Spiteful Matt5

His family should be ashamed of themselves

Hirst 𝟜𝕎𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕔4

This is absolute hell, like a listing from Charlie Brooker’s TV Go Home, nestled right between “Get Hen!” and “Cunt”. My hatred for this can’t be described with words, it goes beyond that, it’s just a noise.

Mat Brunet (AniMat)

@matbrunetvo.com

Are there seriously no actors out there that can do a great Gene Wilder impression thats they could hire for that voiceover? And what’s even sadder is that it would’ve also been cheaper than whatever they paid the estate to make that AI voice.

455h ago

Stefan Ellison8

And in the trailer, it doesn't even sound anything like Wilder. It's the same annoying voice you hear in every AI video. Several actors have played Willy Wonka on screen and stage. They could absolutely hire a really great actor to do their own fun take on this iconic character.

Andy Mayer2

They couldn’t get Timothee Chalamet or Johnny Depp or even JP Karliak?

Will McKinley

@willmckinley.bsky.social

To my ears, the AI "recreation" of the Gene Wilder voice sounds no better than a talented voice actor might have done. Famous voices have always been mimicked in animation, from the earliest days of sound until today. Soundalike human voice artists pay homage to icons. AI demeans them. #FilmSky

547h ago

SoraPepperMint

@sorathepanfloof.bsky.social

Dude, I think even the AI itself is doing a bad job. That sounded nothing like Gene Wilder.

206h ago

Charlie Largent

@charlielargent.bsky.social

Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Released on this day in 1971 - French poster - Art by Barbara Baraknowska

a surreal Alice in Wonderland-like montage of the characters in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

106h ago

Le Cagle

@lecagle.bsky.social

I hope Gene Wilder haunts this production in the role of Willy Wonka, blowing up producers like blueberries and dunking Netflix execs in chocolate rivers with glee in his voice

145h ago

@christopherburns.bsky.social

This does not sound like Wonka at all. They have clearly trained this AI on *not just* Wilder’s Willy Wonka, but on all of Wilder’s work they could get their hands on, including talk show appearances. Because this sounds like conversational Gene Wilder.

135h ago

Blaster1360

@realblaster1360.bsky.social

Or shit, just get someone, *anyone* who can do a decent Gene Wilder impression. Literally ANYTHING other than AI would've been good enough.

185h ago

gwninja

@goprice.bsky.social

Before James Earl Jones passed, he signed the rights for his voice to be used after he passed to support his family. I don’t like it at all but he did it of sound mind. Gene Wilder spent his last few years w/ dementia, before the A.I. shit started - ain’t no way he would’ve been ok with this.

85h ago

FelineJay 🐈

@felinejay10.bsky.social

Willing to bet "the Wilder estate" is owned by some money grabbing scum who's not even related to Gene Wilder, like the Tupac situation

125h ago

Will Greeenwald

@presocial.network

I know the AI Gene Wilder voice is the grossest problem here, but can we talk about how messed up "Netflix's Squid Game format" is?

85h ago

irishoutsider

@irishoutsider.bsky.social

There was absolutely no reason to use his voice on this. You could have played the song from the movie and achieved the exact same effect for this ad. If you are going to have Gene Wilder read baking challenges from beyond the grave, that’s both ghoulish and anti labour.

106h ago

danielle weisberg

@danielleweisberg.bsky.social

AI Gene Wilder narrating the new wonka competition series?? Horrible sentence. All parts bad

103h ago

The TV Cave

@thetvcave.bsky.social

A real-life chocolate factory, reality competition, and one very controversial twist. Here's everything we know about Wonka's The Golden Ticket. 🍬 #Netflix #Wonka #tvsky

34h ago

3 sources

hollywoodreporter.comWilly Wonka Competition Show at Netflix Uses AI to Re-Create Gene Wilder’s Voice theverge.comNetflix is using an AI-generated Gene Wilder voice in its Willy Wonka reality show ign.comNetflix Resurrecting Gene Wilder's Voice Using AI for Willy Wonka Reality Series The Golden Ticket

Netflix Uses AI-Generated Gene Wilder Voice in Wonka Showmovies

Netflix Uses AI-Generated Gene Wilder Voice in Wonka Show

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