Beloved actor Gene Wilder, perhaps best known for his portrayal of the titular Willy Wonka in the 1971 musical fantasy film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” died in 2016 at the age of 83 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, almost exactly a decade later, Netflix is trying to resurrect his voice using AI — without securing his consent, since the tech to do so didn’t even exist back when he was still alive.
The entertainment giant unveiled a trailer for a new Wonka-themed competition show called “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket,” which makes use of Wilder’s AI-generated voice.
Furious fans reacted with anger at the development, with some excoriating it for being “disgusting” and a “really horrible idea.” Others called it “unacceptable and disrespectful.”
“I hope this gets cancelled,” one user tweeted. “Stop using AI.”
At this point, the widespread disdain shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Studios and production companies have been trying to squeeze money out of deceased celebrities for years now, often with the consent of their estate. It’s only a small part of a much wider backlash to AI that’s been building up for quite some time.
Wilder’s surviving wife, Karen Wilder, agreed to have her husband’s voice be part of the show, saying she was “delighted” by the series that “celebrates the imagination” of the actor.
Netflix’s controversial game show will have contestants take part in a “series of Wonka’s temptations and challenges” to win a final prize, presumably in the form of the titular “Golden Ticket.”
“For the first time in decades, I’m opening my beloved chocolate factory,” Wilder’s AI-reimagined voice says over the show’s trailer.
Wilder is far from the first deceased celebrity being pulled out of their grave by AI. Earlier this year, for instance, the voice of comic book icon Stan Lee, who died in 2018, was cloned for a “Stan Lee Book Club of the Month” by AI company ElevenLabs, the same firm that helped bring Wilder’s voice back.
Other celebrities, including legendary author and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, “Alien” actor Ian Holm, have also had their voices cloned without their express permission.
Just last week, famed Hollywood actor Tom Hanks told Entertainment Weekly that he was afraid Disney could one day use AI to replace his voice in upcoming installments of the “Toy Story” franchise.
In short, Netflix’s uninspired use of Wilder’s voice isn’t exactly setting the company up for success, given the widespread criticism.
Netizens also criticized the derivative set design seen in the trailer, drawing comparisons with a disastrous 2024 event called “Willy’s Chocolate Experience,” which made heavy use of AI in its marketing materials. The allegedly “immersive” experience — effectively AI’s Fyre Fest — turned out to be so disappointing in reality that children burst into tears and their parents called the police.
“Perhaps the Wonka Experience was better than this (not that it’s saying much),” one user wrote scathingly in response to the latest news.
More on AI voices: Tom Hanks Frets That AI Could Let Them Keep Pumping Out “Toy Story” Movies Forever
