Updated
Updated · Deadline · Jun 30
Netflix Recreates Gene Wilder's Voice for 9-Part Reality Series as 'The Golden Ticket' Sets Sept. 23 Debut
Updated
Updated · Deadline · Jun 30

Netflix Recreates Gene Wilder's Voice for 9-Part Reality Series as 'The Golden Ticket' Sets Sept. 23 Debut

3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Jun 30

Summary

  • September 23 is the launch date for Netflix's Willy Wonka-themed competition series "The Golden Ticket," which uses an AI-recreated Gene Wilder voice and ends with a two-part finale on September 30.
  • ElevenLabs built the voice model with consent from the Gene Wilder Estate, and Wilder's wife Karen B. Wilder said the family was pleased to bring his version of Wonka to a new generation.
  • Twelve contestants, each paired with a partner, will face physical, mental and moral challenges inside Wonka's Chocolate Factory for a "life-changing prize," while 1971 film actor Rusty Goffe returns as an Oompa Loompa.
  • The 9-part series was produced on Australia's Gold Coast by Eureka Productions after a competitive bidding process, extending Netflix's push into franchise-based reality formats.

Insights

After Squid Game's controversies, can Netflix's Wonka challenge avoid a soulless aftertaste?
Is reviving Gene Wilder's voice with AI a heartfelt tribute or a digital haunting?
With AI voices on the rise, are living actors facing a new kind of replacement?