Voice of Gene Wilder recreated by AI for new Wonka-themed Netflix series
Netflix has used AI to recreate the voice of late actor Gene Wilder for a new Wonka-themed animated series, sparking debate about the use of artificial intelligence to replicate performances of deceased actors.
Background
- Gene Wilder (1933–2016) played Willy Wonka in the classic 1971 film *Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory*; his distinctive voice and performance are iconic.
- Netflix is producing a new series, reportedly called *The Wonderful World of Willy Wonka*, based on the Roald Dahl character. The show is unrelated to the 2023 *Wonka* movie starring Timothée Chalamet.
- The term "voice recreation" is key: this is not a simple audio clip but an AI-generated synthetic voice trained on Wilder's past recordings to sound like him saying new lines. This raises issues of consent, copyright, and the ethical use of a deceased actor's likeness.
- The Wilder estate reportedly gave permission for the AI recreation, framing the debate: is it respectful preservation or commercial exploitation of a dead performer's identity?
- AI voice cloning for entertainment is a rapidly growing and controversial trend — similar debates have surrounded AI recreations of James Earl Jones (as Darth Vader) and dead musicians' "new" songs.