Netflix's AI-recreated Gene Wilder voice divides fans ahead of Wonka show

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Netflix's upcoming reality competition series Wonka's The Golden Ticket, premiering September 23rd, has sparked ongoing debate over its use of AI to recreate the voice of the late Gene Wilder, who died in 2016 and originated the role of Willy Wonka in the 1971 film. Netflix partnered with AI audio company ElevenLabs to recreate Wilder's voice with permission from his wife Karen and his estate, who said Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humor, wonder and heart into people's lives, and that connection has endured for generations

The series follows 12 Golden Ticket winners and their partners competing through games and challenges inside a recreation of the famous chocolate factory, produced in partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company and featuring Rusty Goffe reprising his original Oompa Loompa role from the 1971 film. ElevenLabs has separately recreated the voices of other deceased performers including Carrie Fisher, Harold Ramis, Paul Walker, Judy Garland and Burt Reynolds, part of a broader and increasingly common trend of posthumous AI voice recreation across entertainment

Reaction to the trailer has been genuinely mixed, with some viewers praising the show's elaborate sets and scale while others have called the AI voice disrespectful, unsettling and insulting, with some noting the recreation sounds closer to Johnny Depp's take on the character than Wilder's own distinctive performance. The controversy has reignited broader debate about posthumous AI recreation of performers who never had the chance to consent to the technology themselves while alive. Curious what people think about estate approved AI voice recreation specifically, does family consent genuinely settle the ethical question, or does it just shift who gets to make that call

Another star falls victim to the AI takeover: Fans blast Netflix for 'ruining one of their favourite movies' as Gene Wilder's voice is resurrected for new Willy Wonka series | Daily Mail Onlinewww.dailymail.com

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Estate approval settles the legal question cleanly enough, but it doesn't necessarily settle the emotional one for longtime fans, hearing a beloved late performer's voice again can feel jarring regardless of who signed off on it