Netflix brings Gene Wilder's voice back with AI

Netflix is bringing Gene Wilder back to life for its next reality TV show, at least vocally.

A new teaser confirms that Wonka's The Golden Ticket will premiere on September 23rd, complete with a narration track generated entirely by AI to sound like the iconic actor.

ElevenLabs brings Wonka back

According to Deadline, Netflix teamed up with voice-cloning startup ElevenLabs for the project and secured full consent from Wilder's estate.

ElevenLabs is no stranger to this territory, having previously recreated the voices of Hollywood legends Michael Caine and Stan Lee.

The show itself follows Netflix's ongoing 2021 partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company. It throws 12 golden ticket winners and their chosen partners into a weeklong social competition, leading to a two-part finale on September 30th. Netflix noted that the set designs are physical builds rather than Glasgow-style AI cheap fakes, and the show remains completely separate from its upcoming 2027 animated feature.

Why it matters

For studios and estate managers, this is rapidly becoming the standard playbook for reviving legacy icons. Instead of hiring voice doubles, working directly with AI voice startups like ElevenLabs delivers authentic tone while keeping estates in the loop and getting paid.

Still, we think dropping a deceased legend's AI voice into a reality competition is a risky creative choice. Netflix handled the legal side smartly by securing family approval, but using Wilder's nostalgic presence to host what sounds like another high-stakes game show might leave a sour taste for longtime fans.