Willy Wonka Competition Show at Netflix Uses AI to Re-Create Gene Wilder’s Voice

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder in 1971's 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' Courtesy of Everett Collection Logo text

Netflix has unveiled a first look at its forthcoming competition show based on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory — and also a first listen, which might be the key element here.

Titled Wonka’s The Golden Ticket, the unscripted series uses the re-created voice of actor Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the 1971 movie, as a key part of the game. Netflix and Eureka Productions, which is behind The Golden Ticket, got permission from Wilder’s estate and worked with AI company ElevenLabs to re-create the late actor’s voice.

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The series, which Netflix ordered last year, will feature 12 golden ticket winners and a partner of their choice facing a series of challenges inspired by the film and Roald Dahl‘s source novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Netflix bought the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021). The show will also feature sets inspired by the 1971 movie, where “contestants must navigate a series of Wonka’s games, tests, and temptations designed to challenge them physically, mentally, and morally.”

A teaser for the show features Wilder’s re-created voice; watch it below.

“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,” said Karen B. Wilder, Gene Wilder’s wife, on behalf of the Gene Wilder estate. “Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humor, wonder and heart into people’s lives, and that connection has endured for generations. We are delighted that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket celebrates the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role, introducing that magic to a new generation while honoring the fans who have cherished it for decades.”

Along with Wilder’s re-created voice, The Golden Ticket will feature Rusty Goffe, who played an Oompa Loompa in the 1971 movie.

Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Rikkie Proost, David Tibballs, Alison Holloway and Emer Harkin executive produce Wonka’s The Golden Ticket. The series is scheduled to premiere Sept. 23.