Netflix Draws Backlash Over AI Gene Wilder Voice for September 23 Wonka Show
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 1
Netflix Draws Backlash Over AI Gene Wilder Voice for September 23 Wonka Show
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 1
Summary
Netflix’s new reality series “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket” is facing fan backlash after the company said it would use an AI-generated version of Gene Wilder’s voice.
ElevenLabs recreated the voice with consent from Wilder’s estate, and his wife Karen B. Wilder said she was “delighted” the show celebrates the imagination he brought to Willy Wonka.
Critics on social media called the choice “disrespectful” and “a plastic substitute,” with some comparing it to Glasgow’s failed 2024 “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” event.
Jocelyn Burnham, an expert on AI in arts and culture, said studios are testing what audiences will accept, adding that beloved characters tend to draw the heaviest scrutiny even as some AI recreations have been accepted.