It’s an AI-fueled return to the Chocolate Factory. Netflix has partnered with the AI audio firm ElevenLabs to recreate the voice of actor Gene Wilder, who originated the character’s live-action look in 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and who died in 2016, for its new unscripted reality show “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket.”
The show, which premieres on Sept. 23 and is produced by Eureka Productions, will see 12 “Golden Ticket” winners and their selected partners enter a version of Wonka‘s Chocolate Factory to compete in a series of games over nine episodes inspired by the film and Roald Dahl’s “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.” Netflix promises the show’s one winner will leave with “Wonka’s life-changing prize.” (No word on a lifetime supply of chocolate.)
The AI recreation of Wilder’s voice was done in collaboration with Wilder’s estate, mirroring ElevenLabs’ recreations of contemporaries including Judy Garland and Burt Reynolds. The announcement came on the 55th anniversary of the 1971 feature’s premiere, the latest synergistic effort by ElevenLabs. Last week, it released an “Odyssey” audiobook featuring an AI-recreated Michael Caine ahead of Christopher Nolan’s feature adaptation, and it debuted a version of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” read by an AI Garland ahead of “Wicked: For Good” last year.
“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,” Karen B. Wilder, Wilder’s wife, said in a statement 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.”
The show will also see Rusty Goffe, who portrayed an Oompa Loompa in the 1971 feature, reprise the role during the challenges. It marks Netflix’s latest Roald Dahl adaptation since it acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021. “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket” was filmed in Australia, and its executive producers include Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Rikkie Proost, David Tibballs, Alison Holloway and Emer Harkin.
Watch the trailer below:
