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Netflix has come under fire for apparently using artificial intelligence to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice in their new series based on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Netflix has come under fire for apparently using artificial intelligence to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice in their new series based on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The late actor, who died in 2016 at the age of 83, famously played the title character in the 1971 adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic.

Now, the streaming service is set to launch Wonka’s The Golden Ticket, a reality series that invites players to step inside the famous factory and complete challenges.

A voiceover, which sounds very much like that of Wilder, says: “A whole new generation of real-life golden ticketholder will compete for a life-changing prize, or say a most unfortunate goodbye.

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“Marvel at the magic you remember, and delight in my newest wonders beyond imagination…The most extraordinary competition on earth is about to begin. There’s no turning back now.” A group of entrants were then seen locking shocked and the trailer confirmed that the series will be released on September 23.

Fans were left unimpressed as they instantly recognised what sounded almost the late actor’s voice, assuming that it had been generated by AI. One fan wrote on X: “It almost sounds like gene wilder, but not really and is a plastic substitute that people will eat up because the robots have made them stupid, This is an obscenity.”

Another said: “Ain’t no way they ruining one of my favourite movies of all time with a show and a AI Gene Wilder,” whilst a third wrote: “I’m sure Gene Wilder who died 10 years ago gave his permission to use his voice for AI slop.”

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first published in 1964 and followed an impoverished boy as he won the chance to visit Wonka’s chocolate factory and watched as four other spoiled children met their grisly end over the course of the day. The 1971 adaptation was filmed as a musical and featured songs like Pure Imagination, I Want It Now and The Candyman.

In 2005, Tim Burton released a remake with Johnny Depp as Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie. The story was then adapted for the stage in 2013, and ran for a short period of time on both Broadway and the West End but closed amid mixed reviews.

In 2024, Timothée Chalamet stepped into the role of the factory owner in a prequel film, alongside an all-star cast made up of Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.

The celebrated children’s author was also behind other classics such as Matilda, The Twits, and James’ Giant Peach, and Netflix acquired The Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021.

Earlier this year, Netflix revealed that upcoming animation feature due was to release sometime in 2027. At the time, it was confirmed that Heartstopper star Kit Connor is set to lead the voice cast.

He will be joined by comedic actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi, known for directing and starring in Jojo Rabbit and Thor Ragnarok. They will both feature in Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory.

The Netflix original is directed by experienced animated filmmakers Jared Stern and Elaine Bogan. Between them they have previously helmed The Lego Batman Movie, Spirit Untamed and Trollhunters.

According to the synopsis, Willy Wonka has spent the years since the Golden Ticket contest behind bars for the crime of turning a child into a blueberry. Having served his time, Wonka returns to his factory determined to add a little sweetness to a bitter world. But one thing stands in his way: teenager Charlie Paley and his friends.

Facing eviction, this next generation of “rotten” kids plot to break into the factory, nab a priceless Wonka Bar, and save their homes. But like many before them who enter the fantastical world of the factory, these kids are in for a bit more than they can chew.

The story is said to be set in modern day London, and the makers hope it retains the quintessential British charm synonymous with Roald Dahl’s original work while featuring a new adventure, original songs, brand new characters and some surprises. Netflix hopes this new chapter set in the world of Wonka will introduce a new generation to its universe and characters.

Kit Connor said: “I’m so excited to enter the wonderful world of Wonka. I was immediately caught by the early concept art, and the directors’ vision for the film – capturing the spirit and heart that made the original story so special, whilst imbuing it with something so fresh and unique. It’s such a fun representation of the London that I know. This new adventure is going to surprise audiences around the world, you’re in for a treat!”

The Mirror has reached out to Netflix for comment

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The show that has had everyone clamoring for tickets this spring, Joe Mantello’s cobweb-clearing production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” won, as expected, for best revival.

Mantello, who received a Tony for his direction (his third such award), swept away the cliches that have accumulated around this American classic to reveal a “Salesman” like none we’ve experienced before. The Loman family home isn’t depicted in a literal fashion but instead fluidly suggested in a warehouse space that allows the actors to move unfetteredly between past and present. (The physical production was honored with awards for Mikaal Sulaiman’s sound design, Jack Knowles’ lighting and Chloe Lamford’s scenic design.)

Laurie Metcalf, confirming her standing as the First Lady of the American Theater, won for her portrayal of Linda Loman, a more formidable than usual interpretation of Willy’s stalwart wife. Metcalf, who endowed her characterization with a sharp-edged autonomy and transfixing gravitas, added another Tony to her two previous acting wins (“Three Tall Women,” “A Doll’s House, Part II”).

Joe Mantello wins the Tony for his direction of “Death of a Salesman.”

(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)

Nathan Lane was in a tight race with John Lithgow, who won for his ruthlessly uncompromising portrayal of a wrathful and dyspeptic Roald Dahl in Mark Rosenblatt’s “Giant.” Lane’s Willy leaves a lasting memory in “Salesman,” but it would be hard to imagine “Giant” having the same impact without Lithgow, who provides a terrifying human foundation to this explosive play about a writer’s political commitments tipping over into toxic antisemitism. (The performance slips into a sinkhole of animus in the uncanny way of one of Dahl’s recognizably terrifying, psychologically plausible stories.) In his almost but not quite valedictory acceptance speech, the 80-year-old Lithgow acknowledged that this Tony win, his third, comes 53 years after his first — and feels every bit as satisfying.

Aya Cash and John Lithgow in “Giant.”

(Joan Marcus)

Rather than a slight to Lane, Lithgow’s win is a sign of the dramatic depth that characterized this otherwise squirrely season. Indeed, Lithgow’s performance was as thrilling to experience as that of British powerhouse Lesley Manville, who won for her portrayal of Jocasta in Robert Icke’s modern reworking of “Oedipus.” The play was categorized by the Tony committee as a revival, but it’s really an original drama — one that gave rise to one of the most enthralling productions of the year.

In a season lifted up by Bess Wohl’s magnificent “Liberation” and capacious enough to include a first-rate “Salesman,” a searing “Oedipus” and a smartly contentious “Giant,” it should be no surprise that there were more great performances than statuettes to dole out.