Surely they could just get Timmy to do it…
How would you feel if you got invited to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory (!!), only to find out Willy is actually just AI?
A bit of a let-down, to be honest.
Or how would you feel if a recording of your voice (saying something you never said) was heard by millions?
Netflix, along with AI audio firm ElevenLabs, has teamed up to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice for a new reality show.
It’s the same company behind the AI recreations of Judy Garland, Stan Lee and Burt Reynolds, among others.
They also recently recreated Michael Caine’s voice for an audiobook of The Odyssey.
The show, Wonka’s The Golden Ticket, which was filmed on the Gold Coast, premieres on September 23 via Netflix.
You can check out the trailer (and Gene’s AI voice recreation) above.
The recreation was made in collaboration with Wilder’s estate.
Wilder’s wife, Karen B. Wilder, has said that she is “delighted” the show will celebrate “the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role.”
She also said the AI recreation will “introduce that magic to a new generation.”
